I am very pleased to see that the California Department of Education has taken a stand concerning the Telecommunications Act with the Federal Communications Commission. They stated quite specificly that they believed that all schools, libraries, and health centers be given the opportunity to have affordable high-speed communications technology. Technology is one way of reform and will be able to help bring our schools into the next century. This effort will not only benefit the students but the community. Schools all over the country need to be preparing young people for their future and included in that future is a great deal of technology.
The CDE also stated that they felt that with access to local switching points being provided that schools would have more money to help themselves with the cost of purchasing equipment and training their teachers. I also concur with that premise but their are many school districts that will need additional help with the equipment and the training.
I believe that the comments made by the CDE were worthwhile and that they show a commitment by California to bring the education in their state to a standard that they can be proud of. I sincerely hope that other states jump on the technology bandwagon.