Deputy Secretary Kunin's speech preceded Bill Gates' announcement of The Road Ahead program, in which the profits of his book of that title will be donated to a professional development programt coordinated by the National Foundation for Improvement in Education.
Thank you. Thank you, Father O'Donovan. It?s a great pleasure to be here again and I?m delighted to have this particular and special opportunity on behalf of America?s school children as well as the millions of adults who are eager to continue to learn to share this program and this podium with Father Leo O'Donovan and, of course, Bill Gates. And the tripod that we represent--in Vermont we used to call that a three-legged stool for obvious reasons--that tripod of kindergarten through high school, higher education and the private technology sector holds our future in the balance.
Working together as a Connected Learning Community, we can raise the quality of education to new levels for all Americans regardless of where they live or work, how old they are, what they need to know, or what level of knowledge they need to know.
The usual boundaries that compartmentalize knowledge and limit its accessibility are, in fact, breaking down. And as Bill Gates recently wrote, the Information Highway metaphor isn?t quite right. The phrase suggests landscape and geography, a distance between points, and embodies the implication that you have to travel to get from one place to another. And in fact, he wrote one of the most remarkable aspects of this new communication technology is that it will eliminate distance. And the full implications of this revolution are just beginning to be understood, but one clear result is that it is democratizing knowledge in dramatic ways. And if we truly connect technology to the learning community, everyone can learn continuously what they need to learn.
What do we need to truly connect these two worlds--education and technology--which are, frankly, still in the early stages of courtship? One at the top of the list is that we need to develop a long-term, serious partnership between technology leaders like Bill Gates, others, educators and parents to fully develop the win/win scenario that we both know is there. For the industry, the benefits are clear. A citizenry that is technologically literate will be a dedicated technology consumer, but there is more than immediate profit for any industry at stake here.
The productivity of a nation, of a people is what is determined more clearly than ever before by the level of educational achievement. The correlation between income and education is more powerful today all over the world as it becomes clear that knowledge is the common currency that we will all use. For learners, the linkage is equally clear. Without cooperation and consultation, access to knowledge will remain limited and the quality of information inadequate.
Specifically, what do we need to do to make the connection strong? We need better schools and tools of educational software that provides high academic achievement in subject matter such as math, science, history, literature--education not as entertainment alone, but as a serious albeit enjoyable pursuit. We need to work together to develop the technological professional skills of teachers so they can keep up in many cases, with their students. They are eager to learn and many are already doing exciting technological feats. We?ve held conferences for teachers three times thus far. We?ll be holding a summit on teachers and technology this spring and there are extraordinary things happening. The problem is, they are not happening everywhere at an equal level. But every teacher must be comfortable with this machinery and must know how to integrate it into the learning process as a tool, not as an end in itself. But we also need the equipment. It has to be there for students to learn. Computers must be available in every classroom in America. Newer learning technology can be the great equalizer between rich and poor schools or it can inadvertently expand the divide that already exists.
The choice is ours to make certain that there are no outsiders of the technology revolution waiting to get into the learning community. Integrating technology with learning does, we know, produce results. A recent report concluded that positive effects have been found in academic achievement in all major areas. And a dramatic example of success which both Mr. Gates and the U.S. Department of Education have recently recognized is Christopher Columbus Middle School in Union City, New Jersey--a school that was failing, that had very low achievement, has now turned itself around with a partnership with technology. The scores have increased, parent involvement has improved, attendance is terrific and the population is almost entirely recent Hispanic immigrants.
But we also know there are too many schools where the one or two computers there are outdated or covered in plastic like a toaster free of dust and free of use. These children will fall further and further behind. Our greatest challenge in connecting technology with learning is to assure equity. Both the private sector and government have a major role to play here. An example of our role is the Challenge Grants that we recently awarded--19 grants which span 23 states and reach one hundred and thirty-four school districts. It?s a small amount of money but it has achieved a great deal. One example, incidentally where Microsoft has been involved, is the Pueblo of LaGuna--the Bureau of Indian Affairs in New Mexico where eight schools representing tribal groups in eight states are connecting students, parents and lifelong learning.
The leverage power of Federal money, the power to convene and connect, and the opportunity to provide leadership is enormous. But that money also is at risk. One of the major cuts that the President is opposing is cuts in educational technology. The request that President Clinton made was for a hundred and twenty-two million dollars. The House has reduced that to twenty-five million. This is more than a budget battle. This is a question of whether or not we invest in our children?s future and whether we do, in fact, construct the connective fiber between all players that makes the learning community a true community of learners.
What is the role for the private sector? We applaud your involvement thus far. There have been many who have been outstanding participants, including IBM, TCI, Bell, and Apple. The list is very long and we appreciate that greatly--we being the American people. But we are ready for the next stage--for greater engagement by the private sector, not as an ancillary add-on activity, but as part of the central mission of the private technology center. If this serious educational material that is integrated into the learning process is to reach every child and adult who wants and needs to learn more, it will require a total commitment on the part of the industry as well as the learning community. And we look forward to helping make that happen as a catalyst in this huge, but extraordinarily exciting endeavor. The road ahead is unlimited, if we remove the obstructions, expand our vision and go down it together. Thank you very much.
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