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Statement From ISTE CEO Brian Lewis on Fiscal-Year 2017 Funding for the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants Program

  • 07/07/16

Washington, D.C. — Statement from Brian Lewis, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE®), on the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee’s approval of $1 billion of funding in fiscal year 2017 for the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants Program (SSAEG), Title IV, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA):

“ISTE greatly appreciates the subcommittee’s approval today of $1 billion in fiscal year 2017 funding for the SSAEG program. We believe this figure, though falling measurably short of the program’s full authorization level of $1.67 billion, represents a step forward in helping students gain access to the full range of academic subjects and supports, including technology, computer science, foreign languages, art, music and school counseling, that ensure a well-rounded education. It stands in marked contrast to the Senate Appropriations Committee’s approved level of $300 million, which would provide far too many districts nationwide with paltry formula allocations of just $6,000. ISTE urges the House Appropriations Committee and the full House to follow the committee's lead and quickly approve $1 billion for SSAEG.”

ISTE is a leader in educating policymakers and advocating for digital learning and equitable access to broadband and technology for all learners. At the ISTE 2016 annual Conference & Expo held recently in Denver, more than 1,300 educators sent nearly 4,300 letters advocating for funding for digital learning to their representatives in Washington, D.C. To learn more, visit www.iste.org/advocacy.

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