roundtable: telecommunications access for America's schools in H.R. 1555(FWD)

roundtable: telecommunications access for America's schools in H.R. 1555[FWD]

telecommunications access for America's schools in H.R. 1555[FWD]

W. Curtiss Priest (BMSLIB@mitvma.mit.edu)
Fri, 26 May 95 09:55:35 EDT 

Message-Id: <9505261358.AA11455@a.cni.org>
Date:         Fri, 26 May 95 09:55:35 EDT
From: "W. Curtiss Priest" <BMSLIB@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject:      telecommunications access for America's schools in H.R. 1555[FWD]
To: Telecommunications Policy Roundtable <ROUNDTABLE@CNI.ORG>



FYI:

Curtiss Priest
<BMSLIB@mitvma.mit.edu>


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 25 May 1995 15:51:34 -0400 (EDT)
From: iste@seas.gwu.edu
Subject: Update on HR Telecom Bill (fwd)

From:  D. Bybee at ISTE USA National Office

The following update on our joint efforts to obtain affordable
telecommunications access for America's schools is provided
for your information and distribution to others as appropriate.

This action now goes to the House Floor for a vote where we hope that
universal service will be retained and included in the House's final
version of this Congress' telecommunications reform bill.

**********Begins Update**********************************************
US House of Representatives' Commerce Committee Approves School
Telecommunications Access Provision As Part of Universal Service

     On May 25, 1995, it was a warm, muggy, and historic afternoon
in Washington, D.C. when Chairman Thomas J. Bliley, Jr, from
Virginia concluded discussion on amendments to Title I of H.R. 1555
(i.e., the Communications Act of 1995) in the US House of
Representatives' Commerce Committee.

     Historic for schools, because H.R. 1555 includes universal
service provisions that are intended to ENSURE ACCESS TO ADVANCED
TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES for all of America's elementary and
secondary schools (i.e., Title I, Sections 246(b)(5) and 250.)
And, its access provisions were approved by this full Committee as
follows without amendment:

     "(5)  EDUCATIONAL ACCESS TO ADVANCED TELECOMMUNICATIONS
     SERVICES.--To the extent that a common carrier establishes
     advanced telecommunications services, such plan should include
     recommendations to ensure access to advanced
     telecommunications service for students in elementary and
     secondary schools."

     Leading up to this action, there has been a lot of discussion
on this provision in Congressional offices, hallways, committee
rooms, and offices/schools throughout Washington, DC and across
America.  Some, wanted much more than "recommendations to ensure
access" -- perhaps at least "provisions to ensure affordable
access".  Others, wanted affordable access and much broader
coverage -- perhaps to include "students in continuing, higher
education, and library settings."  But, still others wanted TO
COMPLETELY ELIMINATE THESE UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROVISIONS altogether.

     Mr. C. Christopher Cox (R-CA) was prepared to introduce an
amendment in full committee TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATE UNIVERSAL
SERVICE PROVISIONS altogether.

     Ms. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) was prepared to introduce an amendment
in full committee to expand universal service provisions to ENSURE
AFFORDABLE ACCESS FOR STUDENTS IN CONTINUING, HIGHER EDUCATION, AND
LIBRARY SETTINGS.

     Other committee members were prepared to speak and vote for or
against both potential amendments.  Nobody had the count on either
side.  The vote looked very close and could go either way!

     But, confrontation on this issue, this day, was averted by
agreement among opposing advocates.  The universal service
provision for elementary and secondary schools was allowed to stand
as written without formal amendments being offered in full
committee to either ELIMINATE ITS UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROVISIONS
ALTOGETHER or to EXPAND ITS PROVISIONS TO SPECIFICALLY ENSURE
AFFORDABILITY AND INCLUDE STUDENTS IN CONTINUING, HIGHER EDUCATION,
AND LIBRARY SETTINGS.

     Groups working FOR retention and possible expansion of the
bills universal service provisions for students in elementary and
secondary schools included the following 35 organizations without
whose support these universal service provisions may not have been
retained:

American Association of Community Colleges
American Association of School Administrators
American Association of School Librarians, a division of the
  American Library Association
American Federation of Teachers
American Library Association
American Psychological Association
Association for Advancement of Computing in Education
Association for Educational Communications and Technology
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
California State Department of Education
Center for Media Education
Coalition of Adult Education Organizations
Consortium for School Networking
Council for American Private Education
Council for Educational Development and Research
Council of Chief State School Officers
Council of the Great City Schools
Council of Urban Boards of Education
Educational Testing Service
Instructional Telecommunications Council
International Society for Technology in Education
International Telecomputing Consortium
National Association for Family and Community Education
National Association of Elementary School Principals
National Association of Secondary School Principals
National Association of State Boards of Education
National Education Association
National School Boards Association
Organizations Concerned About Rural Education
People for the American Way
Public Broadcasting Service
The Global Village Schools Institute
The National PTA
Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education
United States Distance Learning Association
*******************End of Update***********************************

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