“The success of these education initiatives,” reports PR Watch, “will depend on school districts agreeing to fork over millions to News Corp: each basic Amplify Tablet costs $299, plus a mandatory $99/year subscription. If a school district like Los Angeles were to buy Amplify Tablets for just half of their 662,140 students, News Corp could make nearly $99 million, plus about $33 million in subscription fees each year after that. Prices climb higher for the Amplify Tablet Plus model.
"A News Corp subsidiary is spending $250,000 backing candidates in the LA School Board race. The head of its "Amplify" education division, former NYC Education Chancellor Joel Klein, chipped in another $50,000… News Corp may be hoping that those candidates who are elected [to the LA School Board] will be receptive to its new Amplify Tablet. But it will almost certainly find a willing audience among ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council), the Gates Foundation, and other "reformers" who have prioritized online learning in recent years.” (see PR Watch: "From Tabloids to Tablets: News Corp Spends Big on LA School Board Race, Sets Sights on Public Education "Market", 11 March 2013). What will happen to the Los Angeles Teachers' Union recent resolution ensuring safety from hazardous electromagnetic fields in schools, including emissions from wireless technology?