Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler announced today that he will step down next month and leave the Commission. From the perspective of K-12 schools, the importance of his contributions to E-rate modernization are hard to overstate. Indeed (and with all due respect to friends and colleagues at the U.S. Department of Education), the adoption of revisions and enhancements to the E-rate under Chairman Wheeler’s tenure may very well be the lasting legacy of the Obama Administration with respect to education. With Wheeler’s departure and based on what we can surmise, the E-rate under a Republican FCC shaped by PEOTUS Trump will likely face a new set of challenges.
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Tag: Donald Trump
In the News: How Will the Presidential Election Results Influence Education Technology in Schools?
Federal support for the effective use of technology for teaching, learning, and improved school operations – driven primarily by executive actions at the White House and via politically-appointed leadership at the U.S. Department of Education – could get halted, shifted or eliminated on the first day of a Trump administration.
In the News: On FCC Support for Schools Under a Trump Administration
What does the Trump Administration mean for educational technology advocates? There is a lot we don’t know, but one thing we can expect is new leadership and a new agenda at the FCC. One issue to watch: efforts to rein in the universal service fee, which could put pressure on E-rate funding and related efforts to close the ‘homework gap.’