Pennsylvania’s statewide education associations have joined the Pennsylvania Digital Trust Hub in a Commonwealth-wide effort to protect the federal E-Rate program. The partners are:
- the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO)
- the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA)
- the Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications and Technology (PAECT)
- the Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU) and PAIMS
Together they are backing erate.padigitaltrusthub.net, a data-driven advocacy site that shows what is at stake for Pennsylvania under the FCC’s new rulemaking.
Every region. Every district. Every figure sourced.
E-Rate has committed more than $672 million to Pennsylvania schools and libraries over the past decade, funding the broadband, networks and cybersecurity schools depend on. The site breaks that down for all 29 intermediate units and every public school district in the Commonwealth, with every figure drawn from USAC’s own public data.
The effort ran straight through the Hub’s network of technology leaders. District and IU staff pulled their regional numbers, wrote quotes, signed their organizations on and shared the work with their communities, often within hours of being asked. In a matter of days, every region of the state was represented.
“When we pull together and speak with one voice, we can build in days what would otherwise take months, and we can put a unified Pennsylvania case in front of Washington that no single district or region could make alone. That is the whole idea behind the Digital Trust Hub.”Richard Platts, CETL, Chief Technology Officer, Allegheny Intermediate Unit
A voice for every role
Each partner brings a different audience to the table. PASA reaches superintendents and administrators, PASBO reaches the business officials who manage district budgets, PAECT reaches educational technology practitioners, and PAIU and PAIMS carry the message across every intermediate unit. The Hub provided each partner with ready-to-send content for its members, so the same verified case reaches every corner of Pennsylvania education.
Add your organization’s voice. Find your region’s numbers, sign your organization on to the coalition statement filed with the FCC, and share the site with your board and community.