The Texas Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2010 addresses the needs of technology in education for Texas public schools. The infrastructure of a school is the critical element of support for all four areas of this plan: teaching and learning; educator preparation and development; leadership, administration, and instructional support; and infrastructure for technology (“Long-range plan for technology,” 2006, p. 35). One of the goals of a successful infrastructure for each district is to provide 24/7 access for all stakeholders. Technical assistance should also be available to support both the teacher and the learner. As in most schools across the nation, the infrastructure of our schools has been negatively impacted due, in large part, to the massive budget cuts in the public school system. Many schools were forced to choose between technology upgrades, offering professional development sessions that would address the needs of the school, maintenance and upkeep to facilities, and saving teacher jobs. The most painless cut seemed to be in the area of technology. However, schools are still expected to provide support and technology access to all stakeholders in spite of smaller budgets. In order to provide the best available use of technology for all Texas students and teachers, districts should maintain strong relationships with community partners and should revise their current budgets in order to utilize funds in the most efficient and equitable manner possible. Maintenance and upgrades to existing technology should be handled on a rotating basis in order to maintain a continuing level of technology success. Campus Improvement Plans should include campus-based grant writing committees that will seek out opportunities for funding and training that will not create additional strain on already limited budgets. Administrators that are innovative in their approach to providing quality access to technology should be able to fulfill the long-range plans as we move forward to the year 2020.
Texas Education Agency, (2006). Long-range plan for technology, 2006-2020. Retrieved from
website: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/technology/etac.
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