February 2007 — News
Print this articleClick here to receive your FREE subscription to T.H.E. Journal
Groups Respond to Proposed EETT Cuts
2/5/2007—The United States Department of Education today posted details on the Bush administration's proposed FY 2008 budget as it pertains to education. The proposed budget calls for a number of program eliminations, including the elimination of the sole funding supporting Title II D of the No Child Left Behind Act, Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT). The information comes on the day the State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA) released its findings on the effectiveness of EETT in its 2007 National Trends Report. SETDA responded to the proposed cuts immediately with a call for direct action from its members. The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) also released a statement on the proposed cuts.
Included in the list of proposed eliminations in the 2008 budget proposed by the Bush administration is an item called "Education Technology State Grants," totaling $273.1 million in cuts. As explained in the DoE 2008 budget summary, this "provides funding to States and school districts to support the deployment and integration of educational technology into classroom instruction. Schools today offer a greater level of technology infrastructure than just a few years ago, and there is no longer a significant need for a State formula grant program targeted specifically on (and limited to) the effective integration of technology into schools and classrooms. Districts seeking funds to integrate technology into teaching and learning can use other Federal program funds such as Improving Teacher Quality State Grants and Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies." (See link below for more.)
"It is disappointing, but not surprising, that the administration has yet again recommended zeroing out the only technology funding in NCLB," said Geoff Fletcher, editorial director of THE Journal. "It is ironic that the cut in the budget for technology funding falls on the same day that the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) released a report documenting numerous case studies showing the positive effects that EETT funding has had in states and school districts across the country. However, contrary to the rationale provided in the President's budget for cutting EETT, the job of integrating technology into the classroom is not done. As I talk to technology coordinators and review survey after survey of their top concerns, it is clear that the job is not done. We have been stalled at a 3.8 to 1 student to computer ratio for at least three years, and technology coordinators acknowledge teachers' desire for and need for more professional development. Fortunately, wiser heads and hearts in Congress have prevailed in the past and restored at least some of the EETT funding, and I hope that Congress will not only maintain, but increase this critically important program. It is hard to imagine how anyone can walk into most schools today and believe that there has been sufficient support to ensure our students are prepared to enter the information technology-based work-force that we have in the 21st century."
