| The marriage of technology and education has | | | | group of schools. It provides for things like internal |
| proved to be a challenging endeavor. This is | | | | wiring, Internet services, and network equipment. |
| especially true for large urban school districts that | | | | What it does not provide for are computers or |
| are faced with the task of incorporating | | | | software to connect to those systems. The |
| technology on two fronts. The business side | | | | thought process was that schools could use the |
| needs it to manage student data, finances, | | | | funds that they saved on E-rate provided items |
| infrastructure, and food services. The teaching | | | | to purchase computers and software. Sounds |
| side needs it to keep up with the society's | | | | good, except, not many districts budget for wiring |
| demands on how their children are educated. | | | | upgrades, increased bandwidth, or router |
| Some of the larger school districts serve over | | | | replacements. |
| 175,000 students and a complimentary staff of | | | | In the early days of E-rate, some districts |
| 20,000. The finances to manage these | | | | worked the system by purchasing the same |
| organizations usually come from federal, state, | | | | items for the same schools each year. They |
| and local governments by way of taxes, bonds, | | | | would then transfer the older equipment to |
| etc. There is an ongoing debate about how the | | | | schools in the district that did not qualify for |
| money being poured into public education is being | | | | E-rate. That loophole and many others were soon |
| spent. That debate became even louder after the | | | | closed. The large school districts are now |
| government began collecting and distributing billions | | | | scrambling to meet technology demands with |
| of dollars with its E-rate program. | | | | fewer dollars available. |
| When school districts began to receive that | | | | Some district leaders are concentrating their |
| windfall, the public expected that the issue of | | | | efforts on the schools where there is the most |
| technology in schools would be immediately | | | | need. They are getting the new computers, new |
| addressed. That did not happen. In fact, for the | | | | software, and the new instructional technology. |
| large school districts it presented new challenges | | | | The schools in the well to do neighborhoods have |
| for technology directors. The E-rate program is | | | | similar efforts started, except they have to rely |
| very complex participate in and report on. The | | | | on parents, PTA's, and local businesses to make it |
| funds are directly related to the number of | | | | happen. Those schools are now asking for an |
| children receiving free or reduced price lunch | | | | equitable distribution of district technology funds. |
| (another government program). | | | | It is incumbent on district leaders to engage |
| In a typical large urban school district, you will | | | | technology professionals who know how to |
| have schools at both ends of the spectrum. | | | | remedy this and other technology issues. |
| Those in the well to do neighborhoods will have a | | | | Semi-retired educators or an appointed hack is |
| robust PTA, active participation by neighborhood | | | | not the way to resolve such problems. Immediate |
| businesses, and students eager to learn. At the | | | | attention is needed. Remember, that for each |
| other end of the spectrum, you will have schools | | | | four-year plan that means that a child starting |
| with little parental participation, old facilities, a high | | | | kindergarten will be halfway though elementary |
| concentration of poor children, and little business | | | | school before something happens and a ninth |
| community participation. | | | | grader will be gone from the system. |
| The E-rate funds are targeted for the latter | | | | |