COSSBA has partnered with the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the School Superintendents Association (AASA), EdLINC and other national groups to provide the free Protect E-Rate Toolkit.
Established in 1996, E-Rate plays a critical role in helping schools and libraries afford the internet connectivity they need every day. With the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) currently reviewing the program, it is important that school board members and education leaders make their voices heard.
COSSBA is asking its' member state school board associations to share this resource with their school board members and education leaders and encourages them to take two actions:
1. Submit comments to the FCC explaining how E-Rate positively impacts their schools and districts and why the program should be protected. Comments are due October 13. The toolkit includes an E-Rate Comment Template. Comments can be submitted here.
2. Send a letter to members of Congress asking them to support and protect E-Rate with this easy-to-use template that can be personalized. Users just enter their zip code and the emails are directed to their members of Congress.
For those who are interested, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is hosting a listening session on Tuesday, September 15, 7 p.m. To 8:30 p.m. (EDT) https://www.ntia.gov/events-andmeetings/ntia-listening-session-fccs-e-rate-and-screen-use-nprm.
Please help spread the word and share the website https://www.cossba.org/eratetoolkit. The more school board members and education leaders who speak up, the stronger this message will be.