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Geoff Fletcher
Deputy Executive Director
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SETDA Statement on FCC Action on E-Rate
Washington, DC (July 19, 2013) – The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) released the following statement from executive director Douglas Levin today regarding the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) action on the E-Rate:
“The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) congratulates the FCC on the move to open a notice of proposed rulemaking on the E-Rate program. Working in partnership with the states, the federal government continues to have a critical role to play in the deployment of high-speed broadband to schools, classrooms, and communities sufficient to meeting the evolving needs of teaching and learning in a digital age.
In the May 2012 release of The Broadband Imperative: Recommendations to Address K-12 Education Infrastructure Needs, SETDA set forth the consensus recommendations of state educational technology directors – based on research, best practice, trends, and expert opinion – establishing a target of external Internet connections to schools of 100 Mbps per 1,000 students and educators by the 2014-15 school year, rising to 1 Gbps per 1,000 students and educators by the 2017-18 school year. Given that bandwidth availability determines which online content, applications, and functionality students and educators will be able to use effectively in the classroom, additional bandwidth will be required in many, if not most, K-12 districts in this country in the coming years.
If we are serious as a nation about employing digital learning tools to dramatically accelerate the preparation of all students for college and careers, a concerted national effort – including new funding and resources – will be required to meet the challenges the President himself has set forth in the ConnectED initiative. Today’s action by the FCC is an important step in the right direction, and SETDA looks forward to working with the Commission and others to ensure that the nation’s educational broadband needs are addressed swiftly and comprehensively.”
About SETDA
Founded in 2001, the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is the principal non-profit membership association representing U.S. state and territorial educational technology leaders. Our mission is to build and increase the capacity of state and national leaders to improve education through technology policy and practice. For more information, please visit: setda.org.
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