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On May 6, 2025, I had the honor of attending the annual EdTech Advocacy and Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., hosted by CoSN, SETDA, ISTE+ASCD, and SIIA. This national event brings together education leaders to meet with members of Congress and advocate for the policies that shape the future of education technology in America.
I was joined by my colleague, Danielle Tymitz, an Educational Change Agent at Learn21 and the ISTE+ASCD Partnership Co-Chair for the EdTech Leaders Alliance. Danni is also a school board candidate for Mason City Schools in Ohio — and a powerful advocate for civic engagement at both the local and national levels. Together, we proudly represented Ohio and shared our experiences with federal leaders who play a role in shaping education policy.
During the day, we met with staff from Congressman Greg Landsman’s office, Senator Bernie Moreno’s office, and Senator Jon Husted’s office. In every meeting, we were welcomed with thoughtful questions and an authentic interest in the challenges and opportunities EdTech leaders face in Ohio. We’ve invited each office to continue the conversation and to join us at our upcoming ETLA conference to see our work in action.
Each of our meetings was anchored around six key policy briefs that outline critical areas of federal support. Here's a summary of what we shared:
Artificial Intelligence in Education
Advocating for Responsible Use and Educator Support
- Integrate districts and states into the federal AI Education Task Force.
- Fund AI-literate workforce development for educators and students.
- Ensure AI tools comply with FERPA, IDEA, and protect student data.
- Promote transparency and bias mitigation in AI systems.
- Encourage ongoing research informed by practitioners and community voices.
More at: www.cosn.org/AI
E-Rate Program
Ensuring Equitable Internet Access and Cybersecurity Readiness
- Preserve E-Rate’s role in providing broadband and Wi-Fi connectivity.
- Expand eligibility to include cybersecurity tools like firewalls and filtering.
- Maintain support for bus and home Wi-Fi, addressing access gaps for rural and low-income communities.
Fun fact: 99% of public school students rely on E-Rate connectivity.
ESSA Title II-A
Supporting Educators Through Professional Learning
- Fully fund Title II-A at its original $2.3B level.
- Expand support for digital learning, privacy training, and AI integration.
- Prioritize leadership and coaching initiatives to prepare educators for future learning needs.
This grant helps districts recruit and retain EdTech-savvy educators.
ESSA Title IV-A
Funding Safe, Well-Rounded, and Tech-Enabled Schools
- Fund the Title IV-A block grant at $1.6B to support STEM, mental health, safety, and digital infrastructure.
- Support flexible local investments in emerging areas like AI and privacy.
- Prioritize digital equity and access, especially for underserved communities.
This grant also supports music, arts, AP, and other enrichment programs.
Student Data Privacy
Empowering Schools to Use Data Responsibly
- Bolster support for the U.S. Department of Education’s Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC).
- Invest in professional development to build privacy capacity in schools.
- Avoid restrictive policies that hinder ethical data use for learning.
- Fund adaptive privacy programs that evolve with emerging technologies.
73% of tech leaders say privacy isn’t in their job description, yet 90% oversee it.
Cybersecurity for K-12
Defending Schools Against Growing Threats
- Restore funding for CISA’s K-12 cybersecurity efforts and MS-ISAC services.
- Re-establish the K-12 Cybersecurity Government Coordinating Council.
- Invest in cyber workforce development, including apprenticeships.
- Help schools acquire essential cybersecurity tools and resources.
K-12 schools face an average of five cyber incidents per week.
We left D.C. with renewed optimism. The federal representatives we met were engaged, inquisitive, and eager to support the work happening in Ohio and across the country. As we continue these conversations, we invite our members to stay involved, share your stories, and advocate for the policies that help your schools thrive.
Want to get involved? Reach out to your representatives, attend the ETLA Conference, and stay tuned for upcoming LinkedIn posts where we’ll explore each of these topics in more depth.
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