Change is coming to Washington.

During the second term of the Obama Administration and the new 113th Congress, there will be great opportunities for education technology leaders to advocate for digital age learning in our nation’s schools.  Attend the Washington Ed Tech Policy Summit April 10–11, 2013, to make sure your elected officials understand the significance that their policy decisions will have for our nation’s students.

What:

On April 10–11, 2013, you are invited to join other ed tech leaders from around the country to get a head start on the education technology issues that will face this new Congress and presidential administration.

Some of the most pressing issues facing the incoming Congress include:

·         Finalizing the FY13 funding levels for education

·         Passing ESEA reauthorization, including the reestablishment of a separate ed tech program

·         Addressing national readiness for online Common Core state assessments

·         Raising the E-Rate funding cap

The Summit will feature a host of bipartisan speakers, presentations, and panels focusing on policy trends under consideration in Congress, the Department of Education, and the Federal Communication Commission, as well as how these policy trends will affect your school, district, and state.  You will also have the opportunity to make your voice heard through scheduled visits to the offices of your representatives and senators.

Why:

The goal of the summit is to engage Beltway insiders and leaders throughout the education technology community in dialogue about the importance of setting clear and forward-thinking ed tech policies. This is your opportunity to explain to these policymakers how federal policies affect your own schools, districts, and state.

Onsite Information:

The Conference will begin at noon on Wednesday April 10, 2013 at the Four Points by Sheraton Washington DC Downtown.  Sessions on Thursday, April 11, will be held on Capitol Hill and most scheduled congressional meetings on Capitol Hill should conclude that afternoon by 4:30 pm.

A limited block of rooms will be available at the Four Points by Sheraton Washington DC Downtown, 1201 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20005, at a standard room rate of $259 (plus taxes and fees).

Phone: 888-627-8681

Attendees should request the SIIA group rate.

Reservations must be made by March 9 and rooms may sell out prior.

For More Information:

Contact Whitney Silverman of the Bernstein Strategy Group at whitney@jbernsteinstrategy.com.

The summit is presented by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) in conjunction with the Software & Information Industry Association’s (SIIA) Ed Tech Government Forum (www.siia.net/etgf).

You may also be interested in attending ISTE’s ABCs of Advocacy workshop that will be held the morning of April 10, and will focus on advocacy training and state policy.

Thanks to Follett Software Company for their sponsorship support of the Summit!