Schools lose Net over E-rate freeze

In the far reaches of Alaska, the Internet has become as integral a part of the classroom as a blackboard and textbooks.

But at least three school districts in the state are going without online access while administrators await a decision on the fate of the federal program known as E-rate.

Since August, funds earmarked under the $2.5 billion program have been held up over accounting issues, leaving cash-strapped districts with no alternative but to turn off the Internet.

News.context

What's new:
Three school districts in Alaska are going without online access as federal officials await a decision on the fate of the federal E-rate program.

Bottom line:
Funds earmarked under the $2.5 billion program have been held up over accounting issues, leaving cash-strapped districts with no alternative but to turn off the Net.

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"Maybe we could bite the bullet for a few months," said Kim Langton, superintendent of the Kuspuk School District in Alaska. "I'm hopeful we will get the money eventually, but frankly it would mean taking a big risk. If we are denied the money for some reason, we don't have enough in the budget to cover it."

Kuspuk, which uses E-rate reimbursements to pay for 90 percent of its Internet costs, planned to use this year's funding to help it comply with the No Child Left Behind law, which seeks to outline the best ways to use computers and other technology in the classroom in order to help students learn. Stringent requirements for teacher certification are extremely difficult for rural and remote school districts like Kuspuk, which are hundreds, if not thousands of miles away, from the closest university.

Kuspuk, which serves roughly 416 students, is geographically dispersed, spanning some 12,000 square miles in a part of Alaska that is only accessible by plane an--in the summer months--boats on the Kuskokwim River. Video conferencing over the Internet offered a perfect solution to the district's staffing shortage. The technology could be used to connect all nine of its schools, so that teachers and educational specialists could be shared throughout the district.

"Some of our schools only have one or two teachers for grades K-12," Langton said. "There's no way that you can ask a teacher to be certified in all areas, as No Child Left Behind requires. But using video conferencing, students across the district could take a calculus or physics class from someone hundreds of miles away in another part of the district."

Kuspuk had already selected a service provider for the video service, Technical and Management Services Corporation, which also provides Internet connections for the U.S. Department of Defense in remote places like Afghanistan. But after administrators realized the E-rate program had been frozen, they decided to temporarily pull the plug on the video application and suspend their basic Internet service, which had more than 300 computers connected to it.

"For us, the Internet is a necessity, because of where we live," said Jacquelyn Koenig, a high school teacher in the Kuspuk School District. "The closest library is several hundred miles away. We depend on the Internet for even the most basic teaching materials because we have few textbooks and teacher's manuals."

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.