7 National Organizations Urge Senate to Provide Remote Learning Support via E-Rate
Seven national education organizations issued a joint
statement as Congress works to finalize its latest COVID emergency
supplemental:
“At a time when our nation’s school leaders and educators
are doing unparalleled work to bridge the learning gap while schools are closed
in response to COVID, we urge Congress to ensure that any emergency funding
provided to support remote and distance learning include direct funding through
E-Rate program for hotspots, connection devices and mobile wireless service. As
the long-standing and very effective connectivity program for schools and
libraries, E-Rate is the most effective way to ensure these critical
connectivity dollars reach students across the nation while utilizing and
already existing infrastructure. States and schools are familiar with how
to apply for and use E-Rate funding, and as our school leaders respond to a
crisis, the importance of this type of process efficiency cannot be
understated. The current proposal misses this mark and instead relies on including
connectivity and devices as allowable uses within a broader fund. We strongly
support the Senate in passing the distance learning provisions as included in
the House version of the bill.”
AASA,
The School Superintendents Association
American
Federation of Teachers
Council
of Great City Schools
National
Association of Elementary School Principals
National
Association of Secondary School Principals
National
Education Association
National
School Boards Association