Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking), today issued the following statement on the bipartisan bill introduced this week by U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO):
“CoSN applauds the proposed legislation that would make Wi-Fi access on school buses an eligible use of the E-Rate program. It’s a 21st century bill to address 21st century learning environments.
“Expanding E-Rate funds to support Internet connectivity on school buses will improve educational access for students – especially in rural areas. In fact, the U.S. Department of Education found that 80 percent of 8th graders use a computer at home for schoolwork on a weekday. This puts students without home Internet access at a significant disadvantage. As some districts have already demonstrated, equipping buses with Wi-Fi will recapture lost learning time spent traveling to and from school.
“We strongly encourage Senators Udall and Gardner’s colleagues to get behind this bill and stand up for digital equity nationwide.”
See how CoSN is working to the close the digital access gap for students at: cosn.org/digitalequity.
CONTACT
Michael Kaplun, The Fratelli Group for CoSN, 202-822-9491, mkaplun@fratelli.com
About CoSN
CoSN is the premier voice and resource for K-12 education technology leaders nationwide. Serving more than 13 million students in America’s school systems, CoSN provides education leaders with the tools and relationships to leverage technology and advance modern, engaging learning environments. Visit CoSN.org to find out more about CoSN’s focus areas, annual conference and events, advocacy and policy, membership, and the CETL certification exam.
