[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 30, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1398-E1399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             BUSINESS AND EDUCATION SHARING TECHNOLOGY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 30, 1996

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the Business and 
Education Sharing Technology Act [BEST].

[[Page E1399]]

  As a member of the Committee on Economic and Educational 
Opportunities, and as the Representative from one of the most 
technologically literate congressional districts, I know that 
technology is the future of education in America.
  Education technology has the potential to ensure that every student 
in America achieves the highest learning goals. However, education 
technology can accomplish this goal only if every student has access to 
technology and all educators know how to use it.
  President Clinton has endorsed this goal in his Technology Literacy 
Challenge. The Technology Literacy Challenge asks public and private 
resources to join together to ensure that all children in America are 
technologically literate by the 21st century. The BEST Act supports the 
Technology Literacy Challenge by recognizing businesses which show an 
exemplary commitment to joining with local schools to improve the 
teaching and use of education technology.
  Members of the House and Senate who choose to participate in this 
program ask local and State education agencies and schools for 
nominations. The business to be honored is then chosen by a board of 
qualified individuals. All the businesses which are chosen are honored 
locally by the participating Member of the House or Senate. In 
addition, each year the White House holds a national ceremony to give 
recognition to these businesses. It is important to note, however, that 
no taxpayer funds are used for this ceremony. My bill specifically 
states that the ceremony does not take place unless all costs are 
donated by private contributions.
  Mr. Speaker, education has always been a bipartisan issue in 
Congress. Last year, when the Committee on Economic and Educational 
Opportunities and the Science Committee held a joint hearing on 
education technology, Members on both sides of the aisle were excited 
to hear about the ways education technology is being used in many 
schools right now to help students achieve the kind of critical 
thinking they need to perform in the high skill jobs of today. But, it 
is not enough for a few lucky schools to offer education technology to 
their students. The BEST Act will encourage public/private partnerships 
in every community and every State that will ensure that all of our 
students and their teachers have the equipment and the know-how they 
need today to learn to the standards of tomorrow.
  I hope my colleagues from both sides of the aisle will cosponsor the 
BEST Act. Join with me, schools, and businesses across the Nation to 
make sure that every school in America has the education technology it 
needs to make American students the best in the world.

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