Rep. Johnson (R) Receives 2004 Award for Excellence in Public Service

Press Release: For Immediate Release

For more information contact:

Beth Cherry Adibi, Director of Marketing
Consortium for School Networking
202/861-2676, ext. 120
beth@cosn.org

Charlene Blohm
C. Blohm & Associates, Inc.
210/656-2324
charlene@cblohm.com

The Consortium for School Networking Honors Michigan Speaker Rick Johnson

Washington, DC (March 2, 2004) - The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) today awarded Michigan House Speaker Rick Johnson its 2004 Award for Excellence in Public Service.

The award, sponsored by Inspiration Software, Inc. (www.inspiration.com) and Scholastic Administr@tor magazine (www.scholastic.com/administrator) was presented to Speaker Johnson during CoSN's annual K-12 School Networking Conference. The award is CoSN's highest honor for elected or appointed national, state, regional or local officials for their achievements in promoting the use of information technologies and the Internet to improve K-12 learning. Speaker Johnson is the first state legislator to be honored with this award. Previous recipients include Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Sen. John "Jay" Rockefeller (D-WV), Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), and Gov. Angus I. King (I-ME).

"It is promising that even in challenging fiscal times, there are policymakers like Speaker Johnson who are stepping up to advocate technology and education," said Keith R. Krueger, CEO of CoSN. "His investment in technology for the state of Michigan is the largest one-to-one computing initiative in the nation."

Speaker Johnson was elected to represent Michigan's 102nd district in 1998 and served as the House Transportation Chair and the House Republican Campaign Chair during the first two years of his term. He was then elected Speaker of the House after just two years in office.

Born and raised on a farm in Osceola County, Speaker Johnson has an extensive history of service in education. His first public office was a seat on the Pine River Board of Education in the early 1980s. His six years on the Pine River Board taught him valuable lessons about maximizing dollars in the classroom, experience that he carried over into the House of Representatives. Speaker Johnson was also elected to the Osceola County Commission and served as a Michigan Farm Bureau State Board member.

In November 2001, Johnson introduced the concept of Freedom to Learn, an innovative learning program designed to increase student performance, empower teachers, and provide new opportunities for all Michigan students through wireless technology. After a pilot program in 80 schools demonstrated increases in test scores and student involvement, Johnson announced that he would extend Freedom to Learn statewide during the 2003-04 school year.

Under Freedom to Learn, each participating district will be equipped with an education solutions package that includes HP Compaq laptops for every sixth-grade student, Microsoft software, tech support, professional development, course content and assessments. The initiative allows schools to integrate computers and curriculum, bridge the digital divide and expand technology opportunities for students.

"Through his Freedom to Learn initiative, Speaker Johnson is demonstrating the ways that individual access to computers, software and training can improve student achievement," said Mona Westhaver, president and co-founder, Inspiration Software. "His efforts as a champion for technology in education are enhancing teaching and learning for Michigan students."

"Speaker Johnson's advocacy of education technology will be very compelling for our readers," added Bernadette Grey, editor-in-chief of Scholastic Administr@tor. "We want school leaders in other states to realize that there are policymakers out there committed to making a difference in their constituents' schools."

About the Annual K-12 School Networking Conference

The K-12 School Networking Conference is the premier event for education leaders to examine the future of the Internet and education technologies in the classroom. More than 500 district, state and national education technology leaders will attend the conference.

The 9th Annual K-12 School Networking Conference, Personalization & Empowerment: No Child Left Behind and Technology, addresses the increasing emphasis on ensuring that classroom interventions impact achievement. Educators will analyze the capabilities of technological tools and how technology can be leveraged to meet the learning needs of all individual students.

Visit www.k12schoolnetworking.org for more detailed program and registration information.

About the Consortium for School Networking

Founded in 1992, CoSN, a national nonprofit organization, is the premier voice in educational technology leadership. Its mission is to advance the K-12 education community's capacity to effectively use technology to improve learning through advocacy, policy and leadership development. CoSN members represent school districts, state and local education agencies, nonprofits, companies and individuals who share this vision.

CoSN leadership initiatives include: Cyber Security for the Digital District (www.securedistrict.org); Data-Driven Decision Making (www.3d2know.org); Safeguarding the Wired Schoolhouse (www.safewiredschools.org); Taking Total Cost of Ownership to the Classroom (www.classroomtco.org); and the development of the Council of School District Chief Technology Officers (CTO).

Visit www.cosn.org or phone 202/861-2676 to find out more about CoSN's programs and activities that support leadership development to ensure that information technology has a direct and positive impact on student learning in elementary and secondary schools.

Editor's note: For additional information or to coordinate interviews, contact Charlene Blohm at 210/602-1444 (mobile).