CEO of ISTE Don Knezek on The Stimulus Package
Tuesday, March 31st 2009 by Joe Corbett
Dear Members,
As you can imagine with a new U.S. President being sworn in, a new Congress seated and the passage of an historic economic stimulus bill, it has been a busy few months for ISTE and our advocacy efforts. The coming months, however, will become increasingly important at the state and local levels as the stimulus funds are disbursed. I’m writing to make sure you have the information you need to participate in state and local deliberations and make wise spending decisions.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) that was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009, directs more than $100 billion to education. This is the largest one-time federal infusion of funds for education ever and it is up to us as a community to spend these funds wisely. Collectively, we will be accountable to show that these dollars were spent quickly to meet short-term economic goals with long-term school improvement and reform benefits in mind.
To quote Secretary Duncan, “Our goals are to save jobs and improve education… balancing the need for a speedy release of funds with the need for aggressive and thoughtful school improvements and reform to improve results for our children.”
ISTE worked closely with the Obama Administration and the U.S. Congress to ensure that the ARRA included a dedicated funding stream for classroom technology and professional development through the Enhancing Education Through Technology program (EETT, Title II Part D of NCLB). In addition to the EETT program funds, ARRA also includes opportunities to invest in classroom technology and technology professional development via the State Stabilization Fund, Title I and IDEA. ISTE encourages all members to collaborate and work closely with your district and state leaders to leverage these dollars to ensure our students are educated in 21st century classrooms by teachers who have the skill and training to teach well in them.
Below is a short description and timing information as we know it now on the major K-12 education programs in the ARRA. Be sure to regularly check the Department of Education’s website as this information is continually updated: www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/. (Our upcoming webinar, “So the Stimulus Passed, Now What?” will provide additional information about ARRA as well; find details about the webinar in the bulleted list below.)
State Stabilization Fund: The Department of Education is preparing to disburse State Stabilization Funds within two weeks of receiving a state’s approvable application. The application should be up on the Department of Education’s web site by April.
Title I and IDEA: Fifty percent (50%) of Title I Part A funds and fifty percent (50%) of IDEA Part B funds will be released to the states by the end of March. States will not need to complete a new application to receive the funds released in March.
Enhancing Education Through Technology: All of the EETT funds are now slated to be dispersed in the fall of 2009.
State Incentive Grants or “Race to the Top” fund: States will submit an application to the Secretary of Education to receive these funds. More guidance from the Department of Education will be forthcoming. These grants will help states to drive significant improvement in student achievement.
Innovation Fund: Local partnerships will submit applications to the Secretary of Education to receive these funds. More guidance from the Department of Education will be forthcoming. These applications will reward partnerships that have made significant gains in closing achievement gaps to serve as models for best practices.
As you develop your plans for investing the stimulus dollars, do make use of ISTE’s resources.
-
Check out L&L and its unparalleled archive of best practices. Visit the ISTE bookstore, browse the titles and excerpts. And be sure to peruse the digital age stories posted on ISTE’s 30th anniversary pages. You’ll find phenomenal creativity, optimism and efficiency at work in classrooms all over the world and shared through numerous ISTE channels. Be inspired by your peers!
-
Reach out to your colleagues coordinating IDEA and Title I programs. Take them to lunch. Understand their priorities and constraints. Perhaps a program you had in mind could really enhance learning opportunities in a special ed or high-need classroom. Check out ISTE’s Special Interest Group for special ed, SETSIG, or search on NECC program content for sessions and workshops that expand your familiarity with these issues.
-
Team with ISTE in providing professional development to your teachers and administrators. ISTE’s offerings include a breadth and depth of services, from books and webinars to the rich offerings at NECC, June 28 – July 1. We’ll also work with your school or district to customize professional development.
-
As you’re developing plans and proposals for ARRA funding, be sure to keep ISTE’s widely adopted educational technology standards in mind. Learn more about the NETS for students, teachers and administrators.
-
Meanwhile, we’re also working with U.S. policy-makers on the FY10 budget and various pieces of legislation aimed at innovations in student learning and teacher preparation. Our board of directors recently authorized our policy agenda for the start of the Obama Administration and the new Congress.
-
You might also want to bookmark our policy forum on ISTE’s community ning where Hilary Goldmann, ISTE’s director of government affairs, has been posting updates several times a week.
-
Join Hilary Goldmann and me on Thursday April 2nd for a free webinar exclusively for ISTE members titled “So The Stimulus Passed…Now What?” We’ll be featuring guest panelists David Byer of Apple and the Chair of ISTE’s Public Policy and Advocacy Committee, Deborah Rigsby of the National School Boards Association, and Davis Brock of Elmore County Public Schools in Alabama. Sign up for the free webinar here.
-
Let us know how we can help! There are lots of venues for feedback and discussion – from submitting questions for the webinar panelists, to calling or writing us, to commenting on our new blog, ISTE Connects.
-
And finally, keep us posted on how your school and district are using the ARRA dollars. Complete the short survey here. This information will be a great resource for ISTE members and also for policy makers as we learn from each other and are accountable for this investment in education. Watch our website and blogs for feedback channels, and please contribute to this important and evolving conversation.
Thank you, as always, for your incredible expertise and commitment.
Respectfully,
Don Knezek, CEO
The International Society for Technology in Education
The International Society for Technology in Education
Similar Posts:
- None Found
1 Comment
ISTE Funding Webinar available free | ISTE’s NECC09 Blog
Monday, 6th April 2009 at 10:23 pm
[...] stimulus package, including timing and guidelines as well as district-level examples of next steps. ISTE CEO Don Knezek shared a series of ideas and suggestions relating to the stimulus package for education on March 31st. Please keep ISTE informed about how [...]
Leave a Comment