ISTE Launches Campaign to #RaiseTheErateCap
Educators to FCC: E-Rate Modernization Must Include Increased Funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. –The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE®) and its members continue to provide the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with feedback on how to most effectively modernize the E-Rate program. Upon hearing confirmation today that the FCC is not currently planning to increase the funding cap, the organization has launched the #RaiseTheErateCap campaign.
“We know that 50 percent of today’s jobs require some level of digital skills and, by the end of the decade, the number will reach nearly 80 percent,” said ISTE CEO Brian Lewis. “Without giving all students access to high-speed broadband, some of them will be stranded, left behind and racing to catch-up during a time when technology is evolving at a break-neck pace. This is why adequately funding the E-Rate program is so critical, and why ISTE has remained vigilant on this issue.”
In a blog post today, the organization encouraged “all #ISTE members, educators, parents, and students across the country to tweet directly to @FCC using this new hashtag: #RaiseTheErateCap.” Advocates are encouraged to tell FCC Commissioners “how important broadband and digital learning is for your students.”
“To successfully make the shift to digital learning, educators must have reliable and fast broadband. We agree that the program needs to be modernized, but without more money, schools cannot successfully transition to connected learning environments,” said Lewis. “The E-Rate is a crucial issue and will be a big topic of discussion at our conference next week in Atlanta.”
At ISTE 2014, members can sign a petition urging the FCC to increase funding for the E-Rate program. The petition will be at the ISTE Advocacy Network Booth Georgia World Congress Center,Building B, Level 4 - near room A410.
For additional information about ISTE’s advocacy efforts around the E-Rate, visit www.iste.org/advocacy/public-policy.
About ISTE 2014
Part idea incubator and part collaborative workspace, the ISTE Conference and Expo, to be held June 28 – July 1 at the Georgia World Conference Center in Atlanta, is the epicenter of forward-thinking where attendees share discoveries and develop solutions for their greatest challenges – all while connecting to a global network of education colleagues and resources.
About ISTE
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE®) is the premier nonprofit organization serving educators and education leaders committed to empowering connected learners in a connected world. ISTE serves more than 100,000 education stakeholders throughout the world.
ISTE's innovative offerings include the ISTE Conference and Expo — one of the biggest, most comprehensive ed tech events — as well as the widely adopted ISTE Standards for learning, teaching and leading in the digital age and a robust suite of professional learning resources, including webinars, online courses, consulting services for schools and districts, books, and peer-reviewed journals and publications. For more information, visit iste.org. Connect with ISTE via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.