SIIA members hear from national education leaders

SIIA members meet with Members of Congress, including Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (NY)

Federal policies, initiatives and grant programs continue to help drive the nation's education systems and practices and have disproportionate impact on education technology needs. From implementation of the "No Child Left Behind Act" to federal funding to evolving policies around distance learning, understanding and shaping national developments remains critical to education technology companies.

The annual SIIA Ed Tech DC Fly-In has become a staple to those company executives recognizing the importance of a personal, hands-on forum to translate federal policies into actionable market intelligence provided (read press release; view video archive of Welcome & Overview). This SIIA Members-only conference once again provided an excellent opportunity for SIIA members to gain unique insights into national initiatives shaping their market, dialogue with education leaders and federal officials, identify business opportunities and advocate for education technology interests before Congress and the Bush Administration.

The two day event featured (review full agenda):

• Discussions with key Bush Administration officials:
  • Phil Bond, Undersecretary for Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce (view video)
  • Dr. Russ Whitehurst, Director, U.S. Institute for Education Sciences ( view video)
  • Ron Tomalis, Counselor to Secretary Rod Paige, U.S. Department of Education ( view video);

• Briefings on No Child Left Behind ( view video - SIIA Members Only) and IDEA special education ( view video - SIIA Members Only) with representatives from key national education organizations representing teachers, local superintendents and state chiefs;

• Visits with 25+ Members of Congress and their aides to advocate for education technology and related federal policies, including distance learning, funding, and teacher training ( view video of Legislative Update panel); and

• A “Redefining Education for the Millenial Generation” Capitol Hill dinner program with more than twenty education leaders, featuring remarks by Congressman Vern Ehlers, MI (view video) and Susan Patrick, Director of Technology, U.S. Department of Education (view video)

Video Archive by Nortel Networks Kidz Online.
[Note: Some discussion was not captured directly on mic. Increasing the volume should address most problems, but some sound may still be distorted.]

Visit the 2003 DC Fly-In archive of session summaries and audio recordings.