New life has been breathed into a program that enables rural and underserved schools to teach advanced technology courses.
The TEACH, or Technology for Educational Achievment program started in 1999 but has lost much of its funding. State Representative Mary Czaja of Irma asked for renewed funding as a member of the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee.
State Representative Rob Swearingen of Rhinelander outlines the proposal...
"'....it includes funding support to support state digital learning, increased access to broadband, educational technology grants and teacher training grants...."
He says this added funding will help teachers and students...
"....this will give teachers the flexibility to get the training themselves on this new technology which we're excited about. As far as the students are concerned, the increased broadband availability will aid them in digital learning by taking a lab in a different class at a different school..."
$25 million over the next two years was requested.
Swearingen says this was a request he heard when he traveled the state last year as part of a task force looking at challenges to rural schools.
