States

Former Govs. Prod States on Digital Education

By Michele McNeil & Christina A. Samuels — August 18, 2010 | Corrected: February 21, 2019 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Corrected: An earlier version of this story misidentified U.S. Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education James H. Shelton’s relationship with the Digital Learning Council. He is a liaison to the group.

Two former governors of Florida and West Virginia with longstanding interests in education policy have unveiled an effort intended to encourage states to more deeply weave current and future technology innovations into public education.

In a press release last week, Jeb Bush and Bob Wise said that the newly formed Digital Learning Council would move digital learning to the forefront of education and away from the “niche role” they believe digital learning plays today.

The 50-member council includes John D. Couch, vice president of education at Apple Inc.; Shafeen Charania, director of education product group marketing for Microsoft; Daniel A. Domenech, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators in Arlington, Va.; state officials; and scholars at education think tanks. U.S. Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education James H. Shelton, who heads the office of innovation and improvement, is a liaison to the council.

The plan is to create a set of best practices that would cover a range of digital-learning issues, including: online and virtual schools, classroom technology, equity, security and privacy, and digital content.

The council plans to do its work in two phases. It will develop the list of best practices for digital education by November or December, and in the second phase, encourage states to adopt them. The process is intended to be similar to that of the Data Quality Campaign, a foundation-funded group based in Washington focused on improving the collection, availability, and use of high quality education data.

According to the new group, more than 2 million K-12 students take courses online, and 1.5 million home-education students take online courses, “but that barely scratches the surface of what is possible through technology.”

“The members of the Digital Learning Council share a sense of extreme urgency about the need to bring digital learning to every school, every classroom, and every child,” said Mr. Wise in a statement.

Mr. Wise said the move to create digital-learning standards is urgent because of teacher retirements, declining state revenues, and an education pipeline that’s not near President Obama’s goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.

In an interview with Education Week, Mr. Bush said digital technology’s “disruptive nature for good has not been applied to our education system. If you look at how technology has improved our lives, it has only been an accessory in education.” The blueprint created by the Digital Learning Council “will move us towards a more customized learning environment where more students learn at their maximum pace.”

Mr. Bush said that the group is nonpartisan.

“My hope is we aren’t going to advance any particular agenda,” he said.

A version of this article appeared in the August 25, 2010 edition of Education Week as States’ Digital Education Priorities Targeted by New Advocacy Group

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
The Future of the Science of Reading
Join us for a discussion on the future of the Science of Reading and how to support every student’s path to literacy.
Content provided by HMH
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
From Classrooms to Careers: How Schools and Districts Can Prepare Students for a Changing Workforce
Real careers start in school. Learn how Alton High built student-centered, job-aligned pathways.
Content provided by TNTP
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

States What's Behind a Legislative Push for Prayer and Bible Study in Public Schools
A Texas bill would allow schools to set aside time for students to pray and study the Bible or other religious texts.
6 min read
A Black middle or elementary student sharing her open bible with a female Asian student
E+
States What Happened to Oklahoma's Effort to Count Undocumented Students?
State leaders ended the possibility of a rule change that would have required proof of citizenship in school enrollment.
3 min read
State Superintendent Ryan Walters, right, listens during public comment at the Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting on Thursday, April 25, 2024 in Oklahoma City.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters, right, listens during public comment at the Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting on Thursday, April 25, 2024 in Oklahoma City.
Nick Oxford/AP Images for Human Rights Campaign
States What States Can Learn from Tennessee’s Fight Over Undocumented Students
Legislative action challenging undocumented students' right to a free, public education hit a snag in Tennessee.
3 min read
Rev. Eric Mayle, center, yells at lawmakers as a bill that would deny illegal immigrants access to education is passed in a House Education Committee hearing in Nashville, Tenn., March 26, 2025.
Rev. Eric Mayle, center, yells at lawmakers as a bill that would deny illegal immigrants access to education is passed in a House Education Committee hearing in Nashville, Tenn., March 26, 2025. The bill in question is now pending until the legislature returns to session in January 2026.
George Walker IV/AP
States Oklahoma Will Cut Funding to Districts That Don't Sign Trump's Anti-DEI Pledge
The state says it will withhold federal funds from districts that don't sign a Trump administration DEI pledge.
8 min read
Ryan Walters, Republican state superintendent candidate, speaks, June 28, 2022, in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters is pictured on June 28, 2022, in Oklahoma City when he was a candidate for the position he now holds. Walters this week told districts he would halt federal funding beginning Friday, April 25, if they don't certify they're not using diversity, equity, and inclusion programming in schools.
Sue Ogrocki/AP