The E-Rate Program
Arlene Ackerman, the San Francisco Independent School District's superintendent, didn't like the looks of a $50 million project proposal submitted for her approval shortly after her appointment in 2000.
The program, known as E-Rate, wanted to provide hard-pressed schools and libraries with access to broadband service. The E-Rate program provides 20 percent to 90 percent discounts on telecommunications services and equipment, with its funds targeted to schools and libraries serving children of low-income families, based on the percentage of students participating in the federal school lunch program.
Ackerman now is the superintendent emeritus of the San Francisco School system, and will shift to a tenured professorship at Columbia University's Teachers College in the fall.
This article, written by Hilary Duffy, appeared in the April 17th, 2006 publication of Government Computer News.
Published Wednesday, Apr. 19, 2006