Schools lose Net over E-rate freeze

(continued from previous page)

Carriers left holding the bag
Schools and libraries will undoubtedly continue to feel the crunch, but so will the service providers and vendors supplying them. Because some schools and libraries depend on the previous year's E-rate reimbursement to front the cost of continuing their services, a delay in the process could impact carriers. Some, like BellSouth--which serves roughly 2,000 E-rate applicants over a nine-state area--say they will continue to serve these customers regardless of whether they have commitment letters.

"We expect to eventually collect all this money," said Harry Cook, segment marketing manager for BellSouth. "We are working with the schools and the FCC to get this money collected. But at some point, if these delays become the status quo, some tough decisions will have to be made."

Continued delays could put BellSouth and other carriers in precarious financial situations of their own.

"Anytime you have large collections that drag on for a long time, you have to make decisions from an accounting standpoint," he added. "Since we are publicly traded, there are certain requirements we must follow to inform our investors."

Trouble in E-rate land
The accounting changes and the ensuing chaos in the program have come at a time when the E-rate program is already under scrutiny from lawmakers over charges of fraud, waste and abuse. In the past few years, several companies and school officials have been singled out for shady dealings.

For example, a string of bid-rigging contracts was discovered in Chicago and San Francisco. IBM and other companies have been blamed for offering kickbacks to schools in exchange for E-rate contracts. Executives from companies such as NEC Business Solutions and Connect2 Internet Networks have been convicted of fraud. So have school officials in Puerto Rico. In Atlanta, the public school system is being audited for allegedly violating the program's rules and procedures. The district has issued a detailed report defending its use of E-rate money.

And the list goes on and on.

Congress has already begun investigating the program. Committees in both the House of Representatives and the Senate have held hearings to look deeper into the various fraud charges. There have even been some rumblings that the E-rate program could be in jeopardy as some members of Congress look into revising the Telecom Act.

"I'm sure the funding will get worked out for this year eventually," Kuspuk's Langton said. "But I am more concerned about Congress reauthorizing the universal services fund. I don't think it's a slam dunk. Unfortunately, I don't think people realize how vital this funding is for us. Without it, we can't sustain our Internet connections. And without the Internet, we're completely shut off from the rest of the world."

Back to basics

No Internet access? No great loss. Why doesn't this school get back to teaching the basics? Schools got by in the past without Internet access. The public schools generally don't produce great numbers of good students anyhow, so I don't see how Internet access is going to improve that (although they would claim it does).

[OlShue]

You didn't read the article

Had you read the article, you would understand that rural schools have been using the Internet for videoconferencing teachers to areas where it isn't economically viable to do so and where there is a lack of certified teachers.

Secondly, quoting the "getting back to the basics" rhetoric is tired and irrelivant to the subject of the article. This isn't about replacing teachers and basic curriculum with the Internet.

Lastly, there?s a lot more to the Internet than the web, and I think you're severely under-estimating the education resources available on the Internet today teachers are using to teach kids "the basics".

In short: If you're going to make gross generalizations and repeat tired rhetoric, you should at least read the article beforehand so you choose the appropriate rhetoric and generalizations.

[ledzep75]

You read the article better than the other posters!

I read the article exactly as any other normal person would have read it. Poor liberal teacher can't indoctrinate my child through the use of biased web sites. It's for the children and the socialistic future of our country. After all everyone is entitled to the Internet. Those who can afford it should pay for everyone elses Internet access.

[Maggie Reardon]

Back to basics

I have to admit that when I first started talking to people for this story, I thought the same thing. The Internet can't be that important to education. I was in school long before the Internet came about, and I got a fine education. I also happened to be a teacher in my previous life. The Web was still pretty young at that point, and I didn't see much use for it in the classroom. But after talking to people in Alaska and all over the country, I realized how vital it has become.

Take Kuspuk as an example. Like many schools across the country they don't have a lot of money. Instead of pouring money into text books year after year, which go out of date pretty quickly, teachers have been using the Internet to create their own materials. As a former teacher in a school where I had no text books myself, I can empathize with these teachers, and I think how much easier my job would have been if I could have downloaded stuff from the Web.

I agree that the Internet alone does not improve education, but in places like Aniak, Alaska I do believe it's crucial. Kim Langton, the superintendent up there, said people who come to live in the Alaskan bush liken the experience to living on the moon. It is so remote and isolated from the rest of the world. You can't even get newspapers up there everyday. Getting mail of any kind can be extremely slow. The beauty of the Internet is that it can connect people living anywhere. For kids who have never seen a street light or even a paved road, it gives them a glimpse of what lies beyond the frozen tundra.

Langton and the other educators I spoke to in Alaska welcome the intention of the No Child Left Behind law. It's great in theory. But it's unfair for the federal government to hold them to the same standards as schools that have access to libraries and certified teachers. The Internet and video conferencing was one way to level the playing field for them. I'm not sure how many people realize this, but if school districts like Kuspuk do not meet all the No Child Left Behind standards for two consecutive years, they face losing federal Title 1 money. Title 1 is the lifeblood of many poor schools, since it provides the bulk of funding for many educational programs for low-income students. Coincidentally, the schools that recieve Title 1 are also likely to get the biggest E-rate subsidies, because they are generally in the most need. Taking away E-rate, in many cases, almost dooms them to failure.

So is the Internet really needed in American schools? I'd have to say a whole hearted, yes.

[Thomas, David]

Your Tax Dollars Not at Work

I am sick and tired of education being cut across the board. I
am 45, graduated in 1977, from High School. Those around my
age remember getting a decent education (for the most part).
But even then, we were seeing cuts, by state and federal, that
affected what and how we were being taught.

It makes not sense to drop the ball in this area, and attempt to
replace the lost programs with inept, and flawed programs that
are not even supported.

This particular ball should never have been dropped.

Kuspuk Support

I had the good fortune of being able to attend the Quality Schools Institute hosted by the Reinventing Schools Coalition this past summer. Many representatives from the Kuspuk School District were also in attendance. They are doing great things for the education of their young people, and their internet connection is an integral part of that. I urge whomever has the right muscle to hasten the resolve of this issue. They need it for the right reasons.
Respectfully,
Carol Illian

GCI Stands Behind Schools

It is unfortunate that the E-Rate rule change has caused the disruption of internet and video conferencing services in several Alaskan school districts. However, the largest provider of internet and video conferencing services to Alaskan schools - General Communications Inc. or GCI - is assuming the risk for its education customers and NONE of the Alaskan school districts that use GCI as their provider has lost one day of internet access or video conferencing. There is something to be said for a company that has that level of commitment to Alaska and education. Their actions speak much louder than words when it comes to providing service to Alaska's students.

[snowflowerbaby]

So by the logic of ledzep75 no child should be educated unless he or she can afford to pay for the cost of the education. Lest we forget, after all, that public education is a socialist movement. BTW ledzep75, I was educated in the public school systems and did quite well. Maybe somewhere back in all those hillbilly Appalachian ancestors of mine someone was had been rich and got their smart genes since apparently the only ones who are deserving or capable of receiving an education are the well-off. Please home-school your child so they will be indoctrinated by your social elitist mentality ensuring that the underclassed stay where they belong, uneducated, under paid, and under the thumb of those who would like to control the financial state of the entire world. I want my children to be oppressed by yours and to fear things like getting an ear infection since they won't be able to afford the doctor's fee or the required insurance. Thank you for your snobbery.