Education technology is likely to receive a major federal boost from the economic stimulus package, based on the House Democrats’ version of the plan, released today.
The House Democrats’ “American Recovery and Reinvestment” plan includes "$1 billion for 21st century classrooms, including computer and science labs and teacher technology training.”
This plan, which Capitol Hill sources say was developed in collaboration with the incoming Obama administration, is not the final one, as the Senate Dems are developing their version of the stimulus plan, which may have different numbers. But it is a key piece of the emerging picture of what the final plan should look like.
The House Democrats’ plan overall includes $41 billion to local school districts, including $1 billion made available through the Enhancing Education Through Technology (E2T2) program, which last year was just $263 million.
From the House Dems’ proposal:
We will put people to work building 21st century classrooms, labs, and libraries to help our kids compete with any worker in the world."
Other money in support of education technology may be provided through the proposal’s $14 billion for K-12 school construction “renovation and modernization, including technology upgrades and energy efficiency improvement.”
Some ed-tech observers think spending on technology or related skills might come through the proposal’s $13 billion for Title I help for disadvantaged students and $100 million in competitive grants that aim, in part, to “modernize the teaching workforce.” There is also $250 million in the plan to help states build and upgrade data systems to improve student achievement.
