At Last, a Site to Support Technology Spending
RSSConcerned with cutbacks in federal funding, ISTE, CoSN launch a new advocacy tool
By Walter Minkel -- School Library Journal, 04/01/2004
School librarians have an important role to play in these advocacy efforts, says Dave Tortorelli, ISTE's director of policy and governmental relations. In particular, Tortorelli encourages media specialists to study the site's various position papers—for example, those on copyright law and wireless technologies—and use the information to let legislators know "what librarians are bringing to the schools in terms of technology. We want librarians to become active members in the network," he says. Until recently, ISTE represented primarily the needs of school technology coordinators and instructors. But responding to the growing role of librarians in school technology, ISTE set up a special interest group for media specialists in 2003.
The new advocacy site was launched, in part, to counter the deleterious effects of President Bush's education plan, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), on school technology funding. Since NCLB began holding sway over federal and state education funding decisions, says Keith Krueger, CoSN's chief executive officer, legislators' attentions have been far too focused on test scores and accountability, and not focused enough on the educational benefits that technology can bring to student learning. The result? Federal funding for educational technology programs has declined 12 percent since 2001. "Technology programs [over the past two years] are either flat, cut, or eliminated in the federal education budget," Krueger says. "If we continue down this path, we'll have fewer and fewer dollars available for educational technology."
Tortorelli is particularly concerned about the future of federal programs like Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology. For the past three years, the program has awarded grants to colleges of education that provide students with special training in technology. But Congress voted to eliminate the program's $62.3 million budget last year, and President Bush has zeroed it out of his FY 2005 budget proposal. "We're not getting the message to the nation's leaders that a program like this one is critical," says Tortorelli.
The Ed Tech Action Network grew out of CoSN's and ISTE's Washington Advocacy Day, an annual event—held this year on March 4—in which school administrators and technology coordinators visit legislators' offices on Capitol Hill to inform senators and representatives about the value of school technology. But with the addition of the Web site, Krueger says, "it goes from a once-a-year activity to a year-round activity."
The Ed Tech Action Network will initially concentrate on eight key states, says Krueger: Alaska, California, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. These states were selected because they're the home of influential legislators, such as the chairs of the Senate and House budget and appropriations committees. "We've recruited network coordinators, and partnered with state technology organizations for those states, because we want to make a big splash," Krueger says. "But educators from every state are encouraged to join."
Don Knezek, ISTE's CEO, says that it's essential for educators on the front lines—especially librarians, teachers, and others using educational technology—to speak up. "They know the positive impacts of programs that help teachers and administrators develop 21st-century skills," he says. "They know the value of digital access where students are isolated or disengaged. They know education technology works beautifully to connect parents and communities with schools. Grassroots expertise and experience must be part of the national, state, and local debates about education policy."
