US/ND-5: Telecomm Act of 1996, Universal Service-online seminar

Telecomm Act of 1996, Universal Service-online seminar

Marie SCROGGS (scroggs@scis.acast.nova.edu)
Wed, 25 Sep 1996 00:05:55 -0400 (EDT) 

September 23, 1996
 
To the Federal/State Joint Board and FCC Rule-Making Staff, greetings 
from Antelope Valley (Northeastern Los Angeles County), California... the 
upper desert valley and aerospace capital, home of the stealth bomber and 
the new space shuttle design.

We, being representatives of valley school districts in this 3,500 plus 
square mile region now known as the latest bedroom community to the Los 
Angeles basin, wish to make comment and/or recommendations for the 
Universal Service provision which will impact the students of our local 
region as well as our country.

This upper valley desert region has isolated areas as well as 
communities. The isolated areas, being deprived of commonly occuring 
services and information and/or research materials for the students, 
became the target of study for a collaborative group of concerned 
educators and community representatives a few years ago. This group began 
researching the availability of materials and services, conducting a rural 
family needs analysis, and developing plans to bring the same advantages to
the rural desert student as was offered to the urban student.

The study led to the conclusion that even though this Antelope Valley 
area has the prestige of aerospace specialty knowledge, the local student 
is in dire need of the opportunity to learn technology skills that will 
be beneficial in being placed in the mainstream of job-marketing upon 
graduation from the educational track. As was shown by reduced graduation 
percentiles, the impetus for the local student to excel in school has 
also been linked directly to being (or not being) cognizant of the 
current methods of information gathering and technology training as is 
demanded in today's workplace.

The educators of the local school districts have recognized this glaring 
void and have subsequently taken action to alleviate the condition by 
applying for a grant through the Federal Department of Education's 
Challenge in Technology Program.

Topic:  Aggregation and Competition

WAGON, Westside Associate Group on Networking, unites eleven plus public 
and private school districts and their libraries with local public 
libraries and museums via the cable company and telephone companies.

The California School Library Association (CSLA) Board has authored a 
what/why document advocating strong school libraries.  This document 
includes the following points regarding the current topic of the seminar 
discussion:
	- What:	  Technology, including computers networked to the 
		  community and the Internet; sufficient CD-ROMs related 
		  to the school curriculum.

	- Why:	  Improve student achievement
		  Foster literacy
		  Produce a technologically astute workforce
		  Nurture life-long learning
		  Create engaged citizens
		  Ensure a better future

It is the sincere desire of WAGON to foster these points and to give our 
school students the means to succeed in life.  "Information literacy 
through technology" is one such component of their education.  Perhaps 
these same points could also be considered from your perspective.

We, of the Antelope Valley, appreciate that your goals are the same as 
our goals.  If there is any way for us in Antelope Valley to be of 
further assistance in the design of the Telecom Act's Universal Service 
provision and the FCC rule-making for allocation of school/library 
funding, please call on us.  We are at your service.

Very truly yours,


Dr. Jean Fuller, Superintendent, Keppel School District
Allan Sacks, Superintendent, Westside Union School District
Richard Norris, WAGON Administrator/Coordinator
Marie Scroggs, WAGON Project Director
Linda L. Storsteen, Palmdale City Librarian


scroggs@scis.nova.edu