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February 6, 2000
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(From the digital divide list...mark)
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2000 10:28:52 -0500
From: "Carvin, Andy" <acarvin@benton.org>
Reply-To: digitaldivide@list.benton.org
To: "'digitaldivide@list.benton.org'" <digitaldivide@list.benton.org>
Subject: NEWS: major digital divide annoucement by Clinton today
Breaking news from the White House... Thoughts, anyone? -ac
PRESIDENT CLINTON ANNOUNCES NEW PROPOSAL TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND INCREASE DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY
Ballou High School, Washington, DC
Wednesday, February 2, 2000
Today, in an address at Ballou High School in Washington, DC, President Clinton will announce a new proposal to close the digital divide and increase digital opportunity for all Americans.
President Clinton will first tour the computer center at Ballou High School accompanied by Steve Case, Chief Executive Officer, America Online, and David Sterling, President, Epiclearning.com. Darnell Curley, computer coordinator of Ballou's computer training center and graduate of Ballou, will lead the tour.
Following the tour of the computer center, the President will announce a new proposal to close the digital divide in remarks to students, teachers and community, government and business leaders at the Ballou High School Gymnasium. The President will be joined on stage by Steve Case, CEO, America Online; David Sterling, President, Epiclearning.com; Julie Evans, Chief Executive Officer, NetDay; Angela Lee, Vice President, AT&T; Darnell Curley, Computer Coordinator, Ballou High School; Superintendent of DC Schools Arlene Ackerman; and Dr. Wilma Durham and Dr. Art Bridges, Co-Principals of Ballou High School.
Ballou High School currently offers a variety of computer technology classes ranging from Basic Keyboarding to Computer Programming to a Computer Repair class, giving students a chance to receive A+ computer technician certification and secure jobs in the workforce. Ballou also offers services to the community such as computer workshops held in the evenings for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients. Currently, Ballou has approximately 140 computers and is partially wired.
Ballou High School has formed partnerships with several private companies and labor unions, which have committed significant resources to the High School to help bridge the digital divide and to ensure that students from Ballou have an opportunity to thrive in the Information Age. This partnership is part of NextDay, an effort to bring technology to our poorest schools that grew out of NetDay, which President Clinton and Vice President Gore helped launch in March 1996. Many of these companies have also made national commitments to help bridge the digital divide. Elements of the Ballou partnership with private companies include the following: 1) Epiclearning.com has committed to launch a technical training and certification program that will allow Ballou students to compete for jobs with starting salaries of $32,000 - $37,000; 2) 3M Corporation has committed to supply fiber and electronics equipment. 3) Cisco Corporation has committed to supply networking equipment for the school; 3) AT&T has committed to help train teachers to use technology effectively; 4) and AFL-CIO, Communication Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers are committed to help wire the school. In addition, the PowerUP program a coalition of a number of companies (including AOL), agencies, and non-profits working to bridge the digital divide through access to computers, will make Ballou High School a site later this year.
-more-
2
A number of Members of Congress are expected to attend the event including:
Senator Robert Bennett (R-UT), Representative Xavier Becerra (D-CA),
Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Representative Stephanie Tubbs
Jones (D-OH), Representative William Jefferson (D-LA) , Representative
Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Representative John Lewis (D-GA), Representative
Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Representative Adam Smith (D-WA), Representative Ellen
Tauscher (D-CA), Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Representative
David Wu (D,OR). B b vvv
Order of Speakers:
Dr. Wilma Durham, Principal, Ballou High School
David Sterling, President, Epiclearning.com
Steve Case, CEO, America Online
Darnell Curley, Computer Coordinator, Ballou High School
President Clinton
###
THE CLINTON-GORE ADMINISTRATION: FROM DIGITAL DIVIDE TO DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY
February 2, 2000
Today, President Clinton will unveil a comprehensive proposal to help bridge the Digital Divide and to help create digital opportunity for all Americans. This issue has also been a top priority for Vice President Gore, who has worked to bridge the Digital Divide by ensuring that all of our children have access to educational technology. Access to computers and the Internet and the ability to effectively use this technology are becoming increasingly important for full participation in America's economic, political and social life. Unfortunately, unequal access to technology and high-tech skills by income, educational level, race, and geography could deepen and reinforce the divisions that exist within American society. President Clinton believes that we must make access to computers and the Internet as universal as the telephone is today -- in our schools, libraries, communities, and homes.
To make the most of these new opportunities, the President believes we must:
… Broaden access to technologies such as computers, the Internet, and high-speed networks;
… Provide people the skilled teachers and the training they need to master the information economy;
… Promote online content and applications that will help empower all Americans to use new technologies to their fullest potential.
President Clinton will announce specific proposals in his FY2001 budget to help accomplish these goals and help create digital opportunity for more Americans -- including $2 billion in tax incentives to encourage private sector activities such as computer donations, and $380 million in new and expanded initiatives to serve as a catalyst for public-private partnerships.
PRESIDENT CLINTON'S 2001 BUDGET INITIATIVES
To Help Mobilize Public/PrivatePartnerships To Close the Digital Divide, President Clinton Will Lead A New Markets Trip during the week of April 9th: Closing the Digital Divide requires creative partnerships between industry, non-profit organizations and government. That's why President Clinton will lead a New Markets trip during the week of April 9th designed to mobilize a significant private and public effort to close the digital divide. This trip, which will include leading high-tech CEOs, will highlight communities that are using information technology to enhance our children's education, expand access to life-long learning, and create economic growth and high-tech, high-wage jobs.
THE CLINTON-GORE AGENDA FOR CREATING DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY
Private sector competition and rapid technological progress are powerful forces for bridging the digital divide and for making Information Age tools available for more and more Americans. The information technology industry is able to double the amount of computing power available at a given price every 12-18 months, and is now selling low-cost computers and "information appliances" - such as specialized Internet access devices. Some companies are even offering free, advertiser-supported Internet access. By working with the private sector and community-based organizations, the Administration can accelerate the trend of expanded access.
But access to technology is only the first step. We also need to give more people the skills they need to use technology, promote content and applications of technology that will help empower under-served communities, and ensure that our teachers can use technology effectively in the classroom. Below is a brief description of the initiatives that President Clinton and Vice President Gore are proposing to help accomplish these goals:
1. $2 billion over 10 years in tax incentives to encourage private sector donation of computers, sponsorship of community technology centers, and technology training for workers: President Clinton's budget includes $2 billion in tax incentives to encourage companies to donate computers to schools, libraries and community technology centers, to sponsor schools, libraries, and community technology centers in designated Empowerment Zones, and to provide basic computer training, workplace literacy, or other basic education for their employees.
… Encouraging companies to donate computers. The President proposes to extend and expand an enhanced tax deduction to provide companies with an incentive to donate computers to schools, libraries and computer technology centers. This enhanced deduction allows companies to deduct more than the cost of their donation. Under current law, this enhanced deduction applies to donations of computers to schools only and expires after the year 2000. The President's proposal would extend this provision through June 30, 2004 and would expand it to donations to public libraries or community technology centers in Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities, and high-poverty areas.
… Promoting corporate sponsorship of schools, libraries and community technology centers. The President proposes tax relief to encourage companies to sponsor schools and community technology centers in Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities. The President's proposal would allocate credits for $16 million in corporate sponsorship to each of the 31 existing Empowerment Zones and 10 proposed new Empowerment Zones and $4 million in corporate sponsorship for each of the more than 80 Enterprise Communities. In total, the President's proposal would help support up to nearly $1 billion in annual sponsorships to help improve schools and community technology centers.
… Supporting technology training for workers. The President's proposal would provide targeted tax relief to encourage companies to provide basic computer training, workplace literacy, or other basic education for employees that lack the basic skills to succeed in the modern workplace. Companies would be allowed to take a 20 percent tax credit for up to $5,250 in annual expenses per employee. Eligible employees generally would not have received a high school degree or its equivalent.
2. $150 million to help train all new teachers entering the workforce use technology effectively in the classroom: Under the leadership of President Clinton and Vice President Gore, the United States has made enormous progress in connecting schools to the Internet, and increasing the number of modern computers in the classroom. However, access to computers and the Internet will not help students achieve high academic standards unless teachers are as comfortable with a computer as they are with a chalkboard. President Clinton's budget calls for $150 million in Department of Education grants -- double the last year's investment of $75 million -- to ensure that all new teachers entering the workforce are technologically literate and can integrate technology into the curriculum. The need for this investment is clear. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 20 percent of teachers report that they are "very well prepared" to integrate technology into classroom. And over the next 10 years, K-12 schools will need to hire 2 million new teachers to fill the vacancies left by retiring teachers and to accommodate increasing student populations.
3. $100 million to create up to 1,000 Community Technology Centers in low-income urban and rural communities: The President's budget more than triples the Department of Education's support for Community Technology Centers - from $32.5 million in FY2000 to $100 million in FY2001. This initiative, championed by Congresswoman Maxine Waters was initially funded at $10 million in fiscal year 1999. The goal of the initiative is to help close the "digital divide" by providing computers and Information Age tools to children and adults that are not able to afford them at home. These community technology centers will help empower hundreds of thousands of low-income children and adults in a variety of ways. Children will be able to improve their performance in school by having access to high-quality educational software after school and prepare for the high-tech workplace of the 21st century by getting certified with an information technology skill. Adults will be able to use computers and the Internet to take a self-paced adult literacy course; get access to America's Job Bank to see what jobs are available; learn to type up a resume and cover letter using word processing software; learn to start up their own "micro-enterprise" or Web-based business, or acquire new training. A study sponsored by the National Science Foundation confirms that Community Technology Centers are helping to bridge the digital divide. Of the users surveyed: 62 percent had incomes of less than $15,000; 65 percent took computer classes to improve their job skills; and 41 percent got homework help or tutoring at the center.
4. $50 million for a public/private partnership to expand home access to computers and the Internet for low-income families: The President's budget includes a new $50 million Department of Commerce pilot program to expand access to computers and the Internet for low-income families, and to give these families the skills they need to use these new Information Age tools effectively. This new program will provide competitive grants to public-private partnerships at the local level. Potential partners might include: local school districts seeking to expand parental involvement in education; high-tech companies willing to provide discounts on computers and access; libraries offering training on "information literacy"; employers seeking to upgrade the skills of their workforce using distance learning, and government agencies at all levels seeking to save taxpayer dollars through the electronic delivery of government services. The Administration will continue to work with the private sector and non-profit organizations on the most effective way to design this program.
5. $45 million to promote innovative applications of information technology for under-served communities: President Clinton's budget will increase the investment in the Department of Commerce's highly-successful Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) to $45 million -- triple the current level of $15 million. This program encourages innovative applications of information technology that help empower low-income communities -- public health information systems that raise childhood immunization rates in inner-cities, tele-mentoring for at-risk youth, and electronic networks that strengthen local communities by fostering communication and collaboration.
6. $25 million to accelerate private sector deployment of high-speed networks in under-served urban and rural communities: High-speed Internet access is becoming as important to the economic vitality of a community as roads and bridges are today. The President will propose a new $25 million program at the Department of Commerce and the Department of Agriculture to accelerate private sector deployment of broadband networks in under-served urban and rural communities -- using grants and loan guarantees. The potential payoff from these kinds of investments is enormous. One company, for example, has helped people move from "welfare-to-work" by connecting their community with the high-speed networks needed to support telecommuting. This solves some of the biggest barriers associated with welfare-to-work -- lack of childcare and transportation.
7. $10 million to prepare Native Americans for careers in information technology and other technical fields: The National Science Foundation will support efforts by tribal colleges to increase the number of Native Americans who are prepared to pursue careers in information technology and other technical fields. The ability to use technology is becoming increasingly important in the workplace, and jobs in the rapidly growing information technology sector pay almost 80 percent more than the average private sector wage.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
Access to computers and the Internet and the ability to effectively use this technology are becoming increasingly important for full participation in America's economic, political and social life. People are using the Internet to find lower prices for goods and services, work from home or start their own business, acquire new skills using distance learning, and make better informed decisions about their healthcare needs. The ability to use technology is becoming increasingly important in the workplace, and jobs in the rapidly growing information technology sector pay almost 80 percent more than the average private sector wage.
Technology, used creatively, can also make a big difference in the way teachers teach and students learn. In some classrooms, teachers are using the Internet to keep up with the latest developments in their field, exchange lesson plans with their colleagues, and communicate more frequently with parents. Students are able to log on to the Library of Congress to download primary documents for a history paper, explore the universe with an Internet-connected telescope used by professional astronomers, and engage in more active "learning by doing." Students are also creating powerful Internet-based learning resources that can be used by other students - such as award-winning Web sites on endangered species, the biology of sleep, human perception of sound, and an exploration of the American judicial system.
Access to computers and the Internet has exploded during the Clinton-Gore Administration. Unfortunately, there is strong evidence of a "digital divide" -- a gap between those individuals and communities that have access to these Information Age tools and those who don't. In some instances, this divide is actually widening. A July 1999 report from the Department of Commerce, based on December 1998 Census Department data, revealed that:
… Better educated Americans more likely to be connected. Between 1997 and 1998, the technology divide between those at the highest and lowest education levels increased 25%. In 1998, those with a college degree are more than eight times likely to have a computer at home and nearly sixteen times as likely to have home Internet access as those with an elementary school education.
… The gap between high- and low-income Americans is increasing. In the last year, the divide between those at the highest and lowest income levels grew 29%. Households with incomes of $75,000 or higher are more than twenty times more likely to have access to the Internet than those at the lowest income levels, and more than nine times as likely to have a computer at home.
… Whites more likely to be connected than African-Americans or Hispanics. The digital divide is also persistent and growing along racial and ethnic lines. Whites are more likely to have access to the Internet from home than African-Americans or Hispanics have from any location. African-American and Hispanic households are roughly two-fifths as likely to have home Internet access as white households. The gaps between white and Hispanic households, and between white and African-American households, are now more than six percentage points larger than they were in 1994. However, for incomes of $75,000 and higher, the divide between whites and African-Americans has narrowed considerably in the last year.
… Rural areas less likely to be connected than urban users. Regardless of income level, those living in rural areas are lagging behind in computer ownership and Internet access. At some income levels, those in urban areas are 50% more likely to have Internet access than those earning the same income in rural areas. Low income households in rural areas are the least connected, with connectivity rates in the singles digits for both computers and Internet access.
In addition, data from the National Center for Education Statistics reveals a "digital divide" in our nation's schools. As of the fall of 1998, 39 percent of classrooms of poor schools were connected to the Internet, as compared to 62 percent for wealthier schools.
A STRONG RECORD OF WORKING TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
President Clinton and Vice President Gore have worked hard to close the digital divide, and to help create opportunity for more Americans in the Information Age.
… President Clinton and Vice President Gore have set a national goal of ensuring that every child is technologically literate. In addition to preparing children for the high-tech workplace of the 21st century, technology can help change the way teachers teach and students learn. Teachers can communicate more frequently with parents, keep up with the latest developments in their field, and exchange lesson plans with their colleagues. Students can conduct research using primary source material, learn the principles of genetics by breeding virtual fruit flies, and learn astronomy by using a professional telescope located 3,000 miles from their classroom.
… As a result of the Clinton-Gore educational technology initiative:
… The number of classrooms connected to the Internet has increased from 3% in 1994 to 51% in 1998.
… The number of schools connected to the Internet has increased from 35% in 1994 to 89% in 1998.
… The "e-rate", part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, is providing $2.25 billion in 20% - 90% discounts to connect schools and libraries to the Internet, with the deepest discounts going to the poorest schools that need it most. The e-rate alone has provided Internet access for children in more than 1 million classrooms.
… Our total investment in educational technology at the federal level (including the e-rate) has increased from $23 million in 1993 to over $3 billion today.
… Grants supported by the Department of Education are training 400,000 new teachers to use technology effectively in the classroom.
In addition, President Clinton and Vice-President Gore have worked to:
… Expand access to technology for people with disabilities: President Clinton and Vice President Gore have been strong supporters of efforts to make technology more accessible for people with disabilities. Recent actions by the Federal Communications Commission will help ensure that telecommunications equipment, such as cellular phones, is designed to be accessible for people with disabilities.
… Expand access to technology in under-served communities: In addition to the Community Technology Center program, HUD Sec. Andrew Cuomo has created approximately 500 Neighborhood Network learning centers that bring state of the art technology to publicly-assisted housing across America. HUD's Neighborhood Networks are innovative private/public partnerships that establish computer-based multi-service centers to help people in publicly-assisted housing learn critical computer skills and prepare for 21st century jobs.
… Ensure that the Administration makes closing the Digital Divide a top priority. In December, 1999, President Clinton directed members of the Cabinet to take specific actions to address the digital divide: President Clinton is directing members of his Cabinet (Secretaries of Commerce, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Labor) to take specific steps to close the Digital Divide, including:
… Continuing to measure the nature and extent of the digital divide by examining the importance of income, education, race, gender, geography and age to Americans' access to Information Age tools;
… Expanding the network of Community Technology Centers to provide access to technology for those American who can't afford it;
… Promoting applications of the Internet that will empower low-income families, such as the ability to start their own business; and
… Upgrading the IT skills of workers in low-income communities.
###
*************************
Andy Carvin
Senior Associate
The Benton Foundation
andy@benton.org
http://www.benton.org
http://edweb.gsn.org/andy
*************************
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