Thomas A. Edison CTE High school is a school unlike many others. Serving as a technological hub for research and development. As well as catering programs unlike others in New York City.  As a tech school, it has to live up to certain standards and expectations. In which some students and staff see Edison’s ability to provide the proper Technology, accessibility and utility in different perspectives.

Certainly there’s issues and complications that need to be fixed, most of the time, regarding the school’s policy with devices and the functionality of devices. However, one of the most common complaints comes with the provision of the School’s internet. The internet within the school is crucial towards the student’s education, as it is needed to complete various projects, tasks and even serves as the basis for homework and grading. This also applies to teachers, the internet mostly being used to manage their classes, provide their lessons and provide the resources to aid students. Without the internet, classes are severely hindered at times. In which teachers are prevented from accessing their lessons online, or are hindered in their test processes, homework grading and work overall. In short, the internet serves as the backbone in our school. Without it, we are impaired. Not only does this apply to the internet, but several technologies are needed in the school as well. Such as the Smartboards, computers, laptops, and Ipads. All intended to aid in our education, yet their functionality still holds some question with the staff and students.

“The school has much room for improvement. The lack of initiative and quality only proves frustration shared between students and teachers alike. Especially when it comes to the internet not working or the Smartboards half functioning. It always happens when our class really needs it, why can’t it just be consistent like it should” said a Graphic Arts Student, who did not wish to be named.

Furthermore, with all these expectations and services that Edison is supposed to live up to, how does it as a Technical school compare with other schools? Let it be understood that the DOE manages our internet service when it comes to connectivity and filtering, as well as policy. The question is, why might some schools have better coverage than we do? As a technical school, don’t we need the same quality, or the improvement of it, when compared to non-technical schools?

“Our school is pretty satisfactory especially when it comes to the internet. The school itself may be at least over 300 years old, but I find that it may just be very advanced especially with our technology. We do have smart boards, computer labs and constant access to the internet, in which I really have no problems with. I only really have problems with what the block using the filters… other than that, it’s pretty good, no problems really,” Said Ryan Shawkatrahul a junior at Newtown High School in Elmhurst Queens. He also went to mention that his school renews and keeps their various technological services under maintenance and renewal. In which our school tries to keep up with programs such as CISCO.

However, some teachers like to see our technological standpoint in a different light;

“We’re definitely more advanced than most other schools. Teachers who work here, coming from other schools, could definitely tell that there was much worse. We have to consider ourselves lucky. Of course I’d still like things to improve, there needs to be more Ipad and laptop access,” Said Ms. Lee, a forensics and biology teacher.

Despite our flaws our school definitely still has an advantage over other schools, providing programs like no other and having a quality of education higher than most. Our school is constantly improving, especially when it comes to the curriculum and teaching standards, it’s a matter of providing maintenance to the technologies that are essential in providing it.