 | |
| |
TechnologyDaily Mobile
Everybody's Talking Education
A recap of the news in recent weeks confirms one reality about the national agenda in 2001: Policymakers have made improving education a top priority.
In the short time since the 107th Congress convened, about a dozen bills have been introduced that offer a solution to improve the nation's school systems. President Bush, meanwhile, has outlined his education package. And the New Democrat Coalition, a group that made a name for itself by focusing largely on technology issues, has introduced its proposal to rewrite the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
"It is critical that all of us in the Senate and in the House join with the president in making comprehensive education reform our top priority. It is essential to our economic survival," Sen. Jim Jeffords, R-VT, said last week on the Senate floor.
Two factors have helped drive education to the top of the agenda: 1) American students are doing poorly on math and science tests when compared to students in other countries, and 2) the need to import workers who can fill jobs in the high-tech economy continues to grow. Last year, Congress increased the number of visas granted to foreign workers by 195,000 a year for the next three years.
"I hope that the sense of urgency that prevailed regarding the passage of the H-1B [visa] bill will lead all of us to pass an education reform package that will help create a workforce with the skills to meet the needs of our local, regional, national and international economies," Jeffords said.
Here We Go Again
This year is not the first time Congress has attempted to overhaul the education system, but lawmakers blamed previous stalemates on election-year politics.
Last year, for instance, Congress failed to reauthorize the ESEA and make proposed reforms because there was "not enough support to overcome the partisan tension of an election year," Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-CT, said at a press conference announcing the introduction of the New Democrat Coalition's education bill. "Millions of kids are denied the education they deserve and the new economy demands."
But during the election, politicians focused on education, and then-presidential candidate Bush made repeated references to his education policies in Texas and his goals to "leave no child behind." Those campaign promises now are translating into legislative proposals.
While not all pieces of education legislation introduced thus far involve technology, both Bush's proposal and the New Democrats' effort address technology needs, and three bills offered by Rep. Vernon Ehlers, R-MI, focus on improving math and science education.
H.R. 100, the first of Ehlers' bills, would establish and expand science, math-engineering and technology-education programs. H.R. 101 would amend the ESEA to establish similar programs, and H.R. 102 would offer tax incentives to encourage stronger math and science programs at elementary and secondary schools.
Last week, Sen. Bill Frist, R-TN, introduced legislation, S. 167, that would allow states to combine funds to improve the academic achievement of their students. And Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-NM, introduced S. 164, which is designed to prepare teachers to use technology, and S. 158 to improve schools.
Consolidated Programs, Wired Schools
Bush's "No Child Left Behind" proposal focuses on strengthening the quality of math and science instruction and would consolidate technology programs, including the e-rate, into block grants and offer matching grants for community technology centers. The New Democrat plan would increase federal funding by $35 billion over five years and consolidate the federal programs into five goal-oriented titles.
Critics of the current system say too much money goes to federal bureaucracy and prevents states from directing funds to where they are most needed. Ben Fallon, the spokesman for Rep. Jerry Weller, R-IL, praised Bush's plan for giving states flexibility of spending and for spending less on "people pushing paper in Washington."
But others say block grants may not be such a good idea because eventually funding dwindles. "The reality of block grants is that the theory hasn't panned out other than resulting in the loss of funding," according to one source.
In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan favored block grants and the result has been a nearly one-third drop in funding for programs rolled into one block. Federal dollars for those programs dipped from about $1 billion to $350 million.
"The problem is, the program has nobody's name on it," the source said.
Among the four national priorities outlined in the New Democrat proposal is the emphasis on "new economy technology schools." The plan would require that 30 percent of the funding for local education initiatives be used to fund technology infrastructure, teacher training to help them use technology and tech-enhanced curricula.
The e-rate, which is funded through the universal service fund, provides grants for schools to purchase technology, and last session, Sen. Spencer Abraham, R-MI, along with Lieberman, Sen. John Kerry, D-MA, and others, introduced a bill that would offer tax incentives to companies that donate their old computers to schools.
Choices To Make
With so much emphasis on education, wiring schools and providing funds for technology, school administrators have some choices to make, observers say. Schools should start by deciding what their educational priorities are and research the technology based on that criteria, according to Jodie Pozo-Olano, director of communications and outreach for NetDay.
"Always do your research, assess your needs, research your options, review your overall technology plan, and always make sure that is within your financing allocation," she said.
And part of that prioritizing should be the realization that the Internet is a powerful learning tool, industry sources say. "We need to come up with policies that recognize and enhance the capabilities of the Web to help that resource blossom," said Ed Black, president of the Computer and Communications Industry Association.
Thomas Gann, director of strategic alliances in the global education and research group at Sun Microsystems, agrees. He recommends that schools invest in infrastructure and broadband instead of buying the latest computers.
"This year's greatest hit is not compatible with last year's greatest hit, and over time schools have to go buy all new computers," he said. Besides, seventh-graders don't need a super computer that requires upgrades every couple of years. "That model gets very expensive and fails for schools," Gann said.
Schools instead could invest in powerful servers and high-speed Internet pipelines that house the software, he said. By doing so, they can use old computers with a browser and a minimum of applications, and can access all they need for Web-enhanced education.
But not everyone is convinced that federal investment in technology infrastructure is needed. Adam Thierer, director of telecommunications at the Cato Institute, said he was concerned that Bush's e-rate proposal is "digital divide-lite." While his proposal is an effort to make technology funding "more honest, open and accountable," Thierer said he is not convinced that the federal government should be involved in technology funding at all.
 | - by Teri Rucker |
NEW FEATURE
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
