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2001-2002 Policy Paper: Modern Classrooms

Background:

In September, 1999, Education Week released a report entitled “Technology Counts ’99: Building the Digital Curriculum.” The report explored questions relating to how modern technology is utilized in today’s classrooms. Education Week points out that a school can have the best software ever made and access to the Web on every computer, but it won't see much difference in student learning, experts say, unless its teachers know how to use the digital content in their classrooms.

The Education Week report goes on to say that state and federal legislators, increasingly aware that their investments in school technology may hinge on the skills of teachers, also are moving professional development up their priority lists.

As school districts continue to “get wired” for the challenges of a new century, educators also remind us that some classrooms in Wisconsin do not even have a telephone.

Legislative History:

WEAC is a strong supporter of the Technology for Educational Achievement (TEACH) initiative in Wisconsin. This program is designed to accelerate the use of technology by K-12 schools and other educational organizations. TEACH provides block grants, wiring loans, and technical training and assistance grants to qualifying organizations.

The 1999-2001 budget continues the TEACH Wisconsin Educational Technology Training and Technical Assistance Grants program. The TEACH Wisconsin Board is directed to provide the following:

$1 million to fully fund the 1997-1999 Rural Technology Training Initiative;
$350,000 to create a foreign language instruction pilot program using distance technologies; and
$52,000 to the University of Wisconsin System to partner with the TEACH Wisconsin Board, the Wisconsin Technical College System, and the Department of Public Instruction to provide Web-based instruction for educators.

The remaining funds of approximately $7.6 million are committed to the 1999-2001 Educational Technology Training and Technical Assistance Grants program.

WEAC Position:

WEAC supports legislation that provides school district incentives for training teachers in the use of educational telecommunications and technology. This includes increasing a school district’s revenue cap for the cost of teaching the professional staff how to use digital and distance learning technologies to support learning. WEAC also supports allowing school districts to use TEACH block grants for any purpose related to providing classrooms with access to telephone service, including wireless service.

Talking Points:

A Fall 1998 survey by the National Center for Education Statistics found that only one teacher in five felt "very well prepared" to integrate education technology in the grade or subject they taught.
A March 1999 survey of WEAC members showed that only about half believe they receive sufficient training to run the computers and software in their districts. The same survey showed that only 40 percent of WEAC members believe they get sufficient help from their district to integrate the new technology into curriculum.
A recent survey of WEAC members found that 74 percent agreed schools should have more telephones. A phone in every classroom is essential, not just so educators can make private calls but also to assure their safety in case of emergency.
Every child deserves to attend school in a modern, safe and suitable learning environment. WEAC supports a federal, state, and local partnership to modernize public schools that include sufficient funding for training educators to use technology in the classroom.
According to the January 2000, Department of Public Instruction School Facilities Report, nearly 77 percent of schools in Wisconsin were originally constructed prior to 1969. 16 percent were constructed before 1930. As schools are wired for modern technology, attention must be paid to the most basic needs in the classroom. The Legislature must require that every classroom have a telephone or access to wireless communications.
While the TEACH program provides important access to technology in schools, more must be done to train teachers. Many school districts cannot take full advantage of training programs because of severe budget restraints caused by state-imposed revenue caps.

For Additional Information:

Contact Bob Burke in the WEAC Government Relations Division at 800-362- 8034 ext. 254 or by e-mail at burkeb@weac.org with any reactions, comments or questions.

Return to Legislative Agenda index

Posted June 6, 2000