CoSN

Following cuts to programs supporting cybersecurity in K-12 schools, the Consortium for School Networking’s petition to federal leaders in charge of allocations earned more than 400 signatures from districts nationwide.

Democrat Geoffrey Starks will depart the FCC within the next month, leaving the agency with a 2-1 Republican majority. Whether the GOP members will move to reverse past E-rate expansions remains to be seen.

The Consortium for School Networking and the Association of Educational Service Agencies are launching a national training network to help district teams assess AI readiness and create implementation plans.

A school technology leader from Indiana improved accessibility and inclusion for his district by including UDL principles in ed-tech procurement requirements and using a rubric to evaluate potential purchases.

Student privacy expert Ross Lemke says schools need more FERPA training, better cybersecurity and careful vendor vetting to prevent doing a “potential lifetime of harm” by failing to protect their data.

An official from the Washington Association of School Administrators says district leaders should consider time, money, content and expertise when deciding whether to build a custom chatbot in-house or hire outside help.

K-12 cybersecurity leaders say AI can’t fully automate cybersecurity, cloud vendors are not the solution to data governance, teachers should not use unvetted apps, and student accounts need multifactor authentication.

At the Consortium for School Networking’s annual conference in Seattle last week, three superintendents shared how school leaders can explore new technology while safeguarding students and the quality of their education.

At a workshop this week at the Consortium for School Networking’s annual conference, student data privacy expert Linnette Attai said thorough data mapping and policy review are fundamental to data protection.

Experts at the Consortium for School Networking’s annual conference in Seattle urged K-12 leaders to contact the FCC and Congress and voice their support for the E-rate program that funds school broadband.

A Monday workshop at the Consortium for School Networking's annual conference in Seattle offered templates for systems and standards to prevent gaps in equity, privacy and security for education technology.

Most K-12 ed-tech leaders are responsible for overseeing student data privacy in their districts even though it’s not part of their job descriptions, and the Consortium for School Networking has resources to help them.

ED laid off nearly half of its employees this week. Sources say the cuts have dismantled the Office of Educational Technology, which produced the National Education Technology Plan, among other resources.

A report this week from the nonprofit Center for Internet Security shows that most school cyber attacks rely on human error and tend to spike during exam weeks and other busy, high-pressure times.

A conservative-leaning FCC, coupled with legal and congressional challenges, have created uncertainty around the E-rate program that funds school broadband. Experts say districts will need local funding and community partnerships to fill the gap.

With ed-tech resources removed from the U.S. Department of Education website, experts said state and district leaders may have to rely more on each other and national education groups for future guidance.

A report issued this week by the Consortium for School Networking looks at the hurdles to innovation in K-12 education, as well as the trends and technology school leaders can use to improve teaching and learning.

A new report from the Consortium for School Networking examines the wave of cybersecurity laws passed last year and how they relate to schools. It also makes policy recommendations for state and local education leaders.