Opinion: State policymakers lack vision
By Darrel Deide, Chairman
Recently Idaho launched its Idaho Education Network (IEN). IEN will, in a relatively short period of time, provide high-speed internet connection to all Idaho schools and communities. This is a good start and those responsible should be commended for this investment in technology. It’s laudable. Also, thanks to the Albertson Foundation, for without their help IEN probably would not have been possible. The problem is that the IEN “vision” for the future and its impact on education falls grossly short of what is possible. It is also surprising that the Albertson Foundation would not have had higher expectations for their huge investment.The IEN “vision” does not address the potential of technology, does not mention education choice, nor does it focus on the potential to reduce the cost of k-12 education. Specifically the network’s education “vision” is to “become the statewide managed network solution connecting all public education institutions. It will deliver equal educational opportunities for students and communities.” It’s also concerning that on its website, IEN lists online education providers, but makes no mention of the nation’s largest provider of online education, K12 Inc., a vendor that serves thousands of Idaho students.
This makes IEN breathtakingly benign when it comes to the components needed to improve student achievement. It would have been nice to hear something definitive about the promotion of choice in education, lowering the cost of education delivery and the overall improvement of public education and student achievement in Idaho. Indeed, IEN’s vision is more clinical than visionary.The “vision” of IEN appears to only add a technology component to a failing system. We can’t continue to pour more taxpayer money into that same flawed system. That is what we have been doing for decades, and in spite of all the money spent, we have fallen further behind our global competition. Our present system is failing millions of kids and parents. It’s a fact that the framers of IEN are surely aware, as they are also aware of the potential of technology and the potential of education choice to break the monopolistic stranglehold that the education establishment has on our schools.
There is no question that IEN is attempting to close the disparity of access to a wide range of courses between rural and urban schools. But it still fails to realize the overall potential of education technology – the potential that technology has to help increase teacher salaries, increase education choice options for students, parents and teachers, reduce the cost of k-12 education and truly revolutionize k-12 education.
Without these stated and implicit goals for IEN and other stated endeavors, nothing will change. Our policy makers must encourage educational entrepreneurship and have a vision where we will once again lead the world. Technology can be the key to attaining that goal. If we truly want to use technology to its fullest potential, IEN should broaden its vision. Certainly the old adage is applicable and appropriate here: If you can’t see the target you will miss it most of the time. If you don’t have a target, you will never hit it.
