I firmly
believe that access to advanced technologies is a
necessity for today’s students if they are to be
prepared and competitive in the increasingly digital
job market of the 21st century. In order
to allow schools and libraries across the nation to
improve the technological options they offer
students, Senator John Rockefeller (D-WV) and I
established the E-Rate program in 1996. This program
provides essential technologies to schools and
libraries that would otherwise not have the
resources to purchase the most up to date
telecommunications equipment. Jeff Mao, the
Coordinator of Educational Technology for the Maine
Department of Education, recently testified at a
Senate hearing and voiced his support of E-Rate and
the services it provides.
Before the
E-Rate program was instituted, only 14 percent of
schools were hooked up to the Internet. Today that
level has reached 95 percent. Since the E-Rate
program began, it has helped bring exciting new
technologies to more than a million classrooms and
libraries nationwide. In Maine, over $40 million in
federal E-Rate funds has helped to connect every
school in the state.
As a member of
the Senate Commerce Committee, I recently
participated in several hearings on the Universal
Service Fund (USF), which provides the funding for
the E-Rate program. At these hearings, I encouraged
my colleagues to continue their support E-Rate given
its overwhelming success. I was also thrilled to
hear the testimony of Jeff Mao who is responsible
for working with local educational agencies to
coordinate their technology programs, and
consequently has a first hand knowledge of how the
universal service fund’s schools and libraries
program is having a positive impact on the way
students learn and teachers teach.
At the
hearing, Mr. Mao confirmed that E-Rate funding has
directly improved education for students in Maine.
He stated, “Information
is the key to education because we know that we are
in an information society today and access to
information is where all of the power is. As an
educator, you need to have access to information in
order to educate your students. So by providing
universal broadband access to all our schools, they
all have the same access on the same playing field
then we guarantee that everyone has the same
opportunity.” His words made it very clear that the
E-Rate program is absolutely essential to providing
necessary technologies to our students.
While much of
the basic infrastructure is now in place, E-Rate
funds are still needed in order to maintain the
connection and keep the network on the cutting edge
of technology. A network that was state of the art
five years ago is outdated today, In a
rapidly-shrinking world where our ability to compete
in the technological arena is essential to our
nation’s success, we cannot afford to give our
students anything less than the best. It is
imperative that we continue to fund E-Rate to ensure
that networks are kept up to date and also to make
sure that as many
people as possible - whether it be a blueberry
farmer in Aroostook County, a fourth grader in
Waterville, or a senior citizen in a library in
Lewiston - have access to the system.
With budget constraints at both the state and
federal level, schools are constantly looking for
ways to give their students a competitive edge.
E-Rate is a constant, reliable resource for every
state that brings the Internet and technology into
the classroom for our children.
With the help of this funding, Maine schools and
libraries are able to improve the technological
options that they offer students. The ideal of
ensuring that all students have access to updated
technology is even more relevant today than when the
program was first created – and I remain committed
to ensuring that this vital policy remains intact
and fully funded in the 21st century.
