April '97 NetDay Status

A total of 450 schools participated in the April 5, Mass NetDay. This brings our year-long total to over half the state’s school districts and over a third of the schools. Over 6,000 volunteers -- including many people who don’t have children in the schools -- have contributed their time and skills. When MassNetworks asked school project managers if they needed more volunteers, only a handful said yes. (Volunteers who had registered on the MassNetworks central web page were immediately assigned to fill the gap.) Many of the businesses who sent volunteer teams to schools last October did the same in April, joined by many additional firms that are participating for the first time.

The business community has continued its generosity. We estimate that over $8 million in products and services will have been donated to the Massachusetts education system in the context of NetDay. The labor movement has also played a central role. Both teachers unions -- the Mass. Teachers Association (MTA) and the Mass. Federation of Teachers (MFT) -- as well as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Service Employees Industrial Union (SEIU), and the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) have all urged their members to support the effort and have sponsored events or participated in wiring projects.

At many participating schools, volunteers and professionals have already begun installing internal wiring. Some will have finished the job on NetDay, others will have already finished and used the day to show the community what they’ve accomplished.

Over the past year, many educational associations have stepped up their technology-related teacher training activity. Several hundred professional development opportunities will be available this spring. The state Department of Education has funded a major effort to create a state-wide technology-related professional development infrastructure. State government has adopted policies and released funds to re-enforce the emphasis on network creation.

There is much more work to be done. Many towns have used the energy of NetDay to begin the planning and budgeting that will allow them to network their schools in the 1997-98 school year. The MassNetworks staff intends to continue assisting in that process. Funding permitting, we hope to continue working with our state’s educators, businesspeople, labor unions, government leaders, parents, and citizens to create the electronic infrastructure for education reform, economic development, and inclusive citizenship.

Congratulations to everyone for another success!!

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Last updated: 4/5/97

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