In 1-to-1 computing, every student would have his or her own computer. Just like previous visions, this one makes perfect sense. There will inevitably be a time when every student will have his or her own powerful, lightweight information and communication device--but now is not the time.

This conclusion about 1-to-1 computing is particularly troubling for me, given that I've had the good fortune to work in a school district for the past 11 years where the technology budget would be the envy of any school district across the nation. As I began to study the feasibility of 1-to-1 in my district, I came to the conclusion that even with our significant budget, we would have to give up investing in many high-impact technologies to be able to come close to affording and sustaining a district-wide 1-to-1 initiative.

My conclusion ran counter to what was happening in states and districts across the country. They were buying into the 1-to-1 vision, tens of thousands of computers at a time. The more I studied the reports about these various initiatives, I was struck time and time again by the lack of clearly stated and measurable educational goals and the lack of consideration of total cost of ownership (TCO). Instead, proponents of 1-to-1 initiatives tend to rely on feel-good anecdotes and very soft data to stretch correlations with student achievement. Given that 1-to-1 initiatives are by far the most expensive we have ever pursued in K-12 technology, clearly we have a problem.

Many of you might be familiar with the Jim Collins leadership book Good to Great (2001). One of my favorite concepts Collins discusses is what he refers to as "confronting the brutal facts." Some in the K-12 community might say that today's proponents of 1-to-1 are merely providing the necessary vision and leadership, but as Collins reminds us, "Yes, leadership is about vision. But leadership is equally about creating a climate where the truth is heard and the brutal facts confronted." As I see it, the brutal facts are those we chose to ignore because it might be uncomfortable or inconvenient should we acknowledge, let alone wrestle with, them.

In the spirit of Collins' Good to Great, let's confront the brutal facts about 1-to-1 computing in our schools. Brutal Fact One: In today's current hardware, software, and content markets, large-scale, long-term 1-to-1 initiatives are not affordable.

When I use the term 1-to-1, I am referring to the practice of providing each student with his or her own powerful, full-featured notebook or tablet computer. Initiatives that rely on handheld computers or wireless notebook carts are not true 1-to-1 programs.