News release….

Obama Administration Cuts Education Technology Funding by 63%
Jeopardizing Efforts to Increase America’s Competitiveness
Despite Administration’s Commitment to Prepare America’s Students for the Global
Economy, Budget Slashes a Critical “Change Agent” in Schools

May 7, 2009: (Washington, DC) – Four leading education and business associations today expressed great disappointment in the Obama Administration’s proposed cut — from $269 million to $100 million — to the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program released today as part of the Administration’s FY2010 budget proposal. The four organizations – the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), International Society for Technology Education (ISTE), Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) and State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) – released the following joint statement:

“During the past several months, the Obama Administration has outlined a vision of educational innovation and improvement to enable our nation’s children to compete in the global economy. But today’s budget proposal falls far short of the targeted investments needed to ensure all students have the modernized classrooms and technology-rich instruction needed to achieve this vision.

“The Obama Administration has highlighted the nation’s need to advance rigorous college and career‐ready standards and high‐quality assessments; P-20 data systems that foster continuous improvement; reforms that enhance teacher effectiveness; and effective interventions that improve student performance and increase classroom engagement. This CANNOT be done without leadership and expertise in technology.

“We urge Congress to reject the Administration’s dramatic cut to the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program (NCLB, Title II, Part D). Instead, we believe that Congress should invest in EETT at levels higher than last year’s appropriation of $269 million.

The EETT program spurs innovation as well as provides teacher training and expertise in the use of technology to improve student achievement.

“With the historic level of funding provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, it appeared that the Administration was prepared to invest significantly in educational technology, viewing it as an engine of change to modernize our education system. Instead, this cut stalls momentum, ignores demonstrated results and undermines the progress being made in
our nation’s classrooms through effective uses of technology to engage students, improve teacher quality and individualize instruction for all kids.

“We have seen what works to boost student achievement, and technology is a key component in the equation to accelerate change, but we must have a sustained commitment of leadership and resources. We call on President Obama and the United States Congress to make the sustained 









 
commitment of leadership and increased federal investment in FY2010 necessary to fully realize
this improvement for all students.”

CONTACT:
CoSN: Keith Krueger, 202-489-4176, keith(at)cosn.org
ISTE: Marlene Nesary, 541-302-3789, mnesary(at)iste.org
SETDA: Sara Hall, 410-279-3368, shall(at)setda.org
SIIA: Eileen Bramlet, 703-927-2022, ebramlet(at)siia.net

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