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E-Rate's New Realities: A Discussion of New Program Rules
November 20, 2002

The Federal Communications Commission is preparing to issue a decision on a wide array of E-Rate issues that could drastically affect the program's operation. Next year, E-Rate applicants could find their choices of eligible services limited only to those pre-approved by the program's administrator, their options to receive support for wireless services and voice mail expanded, their ability to transfer E-Rate supported equipment between buildings curbed, and their ability to violate program rules without punishment ended. To find out how you will be impacted by these and other rule changes, tune in to CoSN's Webcast on November 20, 2002, where experts from the federal Communications Commission, the Universal Service Administrative Company, and CoSN's Policy Committee with provide analysis and answer your questions on the ins-and-outs of the new E-Rate rules.

Moderator: Jon Bernstein, Vice President for Government Relations and Policy, Leslie Harris and Associates, Inc.

Presenters:

• George McDonald, Vice President, Schools and Libraries Division, Universal Service Administrative Company
• Mark Siefert, Deputy Division Chief, Accounting Policy Division, Federal Communications Commission

Responder: Sheryl Abshire, Administrative Coordinator of Technology, Calcasieu Parish School System

Presenters Biographies

Sheryl Abshire is a member of the Executive Board of CoSN. She is the Director of Technology for the Calcasieu Parish Schools, Lake Charles, LA and has been involved in diverse staff development initiatives throughout the United States and Great Britain. She has served on the NETS and TSSA writing teams.

Jon Bernstein has been working on education, education technology and telecommunications issues since 1995. Most recently, Mr. Bernstein served as an Attorney Advisor with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), working on common carrier issues for the Accounting Policy Division and, later, for the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs. Prior to his stint with the FCC, Mr. Bernstein lobbied for the National Education Association on a variety of issues, including education technology, the E-Rate, Internet filtering, school safety and copyright. Mr. Bernstein launched his lobbying career with The Lightspan Partnership, an educational software provider. While serving as Lightspan's legislative counsel, he joined the Education and Libraries Networks Coalition (EdLiNC) to help pass the E-Rate as part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Mr. Bernstein also worked as a Legal Fellow for Senator Dianne Feinstein, helping staff her on judiciary, crime, immigration, and intellectual property issues. In 1991, Mr. Bernstein received his law degree from the Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago, Illinois. He received his BA from Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, where he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa

George McDonald was selected as head of the Schools and Libraries Division in September 2001. In this position, Mr. McDonald manages all aspects of the Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism. Mr. McDonald joined the Schools and Libraries Corporation (SLC, the predecessor to the Schools and Libraries Division of USAC) in December 1997 as the Director of Operations. He oversaw development of the Program Integrity Assurance review process - the internal control procedures that help ensure that funds are used in accordance with FCC rules. Prior to joining SLC, Mr. McDonald served as the Deputy Director of Budget and Programs for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). He helped manage the Department's budget of over $40 billion and assisted with DOT's implementation of the strategic and performance planning requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act. During his 25 years with DOT, he also served in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and supported implementation of the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the nation's transportation systems. Prior to joining DOT, he served as a KC-135 navigator in the United States Air Force. Mr. McDonald received a B.A. degree in mathematics from Fordham University.

Mark Seifert is the Deputy Division Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau's Telecommunications Access Policy Division. In his current position, he serves as the contact person for the Federal Communications Commission's Schools and Libraries and Rural Health Care programs. A 1991 graduate of the University of Virginia Law School, Mr. Seifert worked in private practice before coming to the Commission in 1996. Prior to his current position, he worked in the FCC's Office of General Counsel, Enforcement Bureau, and various divisions of the Wireline Competition Bureau.