February 5th, 2008
So about that 2009 Federal Budget
Have you had a chance to look at the President’s proposed 2009 budget? Aside from the hundreds of billions of dollars going to defense and the War on Terror, there are a few particular items of interest in the Department of Education section. The first, at least for this audience, is the cut to Educational Technology State Grants. These have actually been eliminated completely.
While it is quite possible to teach kids effectively without technology, a growing number of groups (parental, regulatory, accrediting, and otherwise) insist that we educate our kids using “21st Century Tools.” If used correctly, computer facilities in schools can have a very positive impact on remediation and even foster independent study for gifted students who might otherwise be restrained in overcrowded classes. We frequently talk about the “Digital Divide” in developing countries; however, these sorts of grants help bridge the divide that exists domestically.
Paradoxically, the educational budget calls for increased funding for school choice and increased incentives for students to choose higher-performing schools. However, having been in a district whose budget was ravaged by school choice, I can say that one of the most important factors in reducing the flow of students out of the district was an influx of technology. Obviously I’m biased towards my own school, yet I strongly believe that many parents chose neighboring schools because of pretty facilities and new computer labs rather than on the basis of solid instruction. When we made drastic improvements to our facilities, with a serious focus on technology, students stopped leaving the district, and even returned.
Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to make these improvements when money is flowing to other districts through school choice. When the grants that help schools improve in the face of school choice also go away, it makes for a vicious cycle of school choice, lack of funding, more choice, etc.
Hooray for Super Tuesday, folks…get out and vote. Maybe we can leave this budget behind, instead of not leaving any children behind.
Follow Chris Dawson on Twitter! Christopher Dawson is the technology director for the Athol-Royalston School District in northern Massachusetts and a member of the Internet Press Guild. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations, but always keep in mind that the opinions expressed here are his own and not those of his daytime employer, even if he talks incessantly about his day job.
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