Latest news with #Children'sInternetProtectionAct
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kajeet Urges House to Support Schools and Libraries Counting on E-Rate Funding for Hotspots
Despite Senate vote, Kajeet commits to Honor E-Rate Pricing MCLEAN, Va., May 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following today's Congressional Review Act (CRA) block of the Federal Communications Commission Wi-Fi hotspots order, which removes E-Rate funding eligibility for these devices, Kajeet®, a leading provider of managed internet solutions for education, expressed confidence the House of Representatives will recognize the profound benefits of hotspots. To continue its mission, Kajeet affirmed its commitment to honoring E-Rate pricing to help schools and libraries secure critical connectivity. While the CRA reversal presents a setback to efforts aimed at funding off-campus student Wi-Fi hotspots through E-Rate, Kajeet encourages the House to carefully consider the compelling data demonstrating the effectiveness and safety of managed hotspots. It is an undeniable reality that over 70% of students rely on out-of-school internet access for homework, underscoring the critical need for reliable home connectivity. The pandemic starkly illuminated the deep disparities that exist, with countless families depending on public Wi-Fi at locations like libraries, hospitals, and even fast-food restaurants to enable their students to complete assignments. 'Every day, teachers across the nation grapple with the challenges faced by students who lack internet access at home, a significant barrier to learning in today's digital world,' said Ben Weintraub, CEO of Kajeet. 'We are resolute in our commitment and want to help these impacted districts and libraries pivot quickly.' Kajeet's solutions prioritize student safety and security with robust content filtering and management tools that comply with educational requirements and the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Last year, Kajeet Sentinel blocked billions of student attempts to access TikTok and other non-educational sites. This regulated filtering, with parameters set by school administrators based on grade level, has proven effective. Thousands of schools and libraries across the country applied for hotspot funding this year. It is estimated that this reversal could potentially impact more than 6 million individuals nationwide. As districts and libraries now face the pressing task of identifying alternative funding sources, Kajeet stands firm in its commitment to providing affordable and secure connectivity solutions. 'We fully recognize the significant impact this E-Rate reversal for hotspots will have on districts' carefully laid plans to provide essential off-campus connectivity,' added Weintraub. 'By honoring E-Rate pricing, we aim to provide immediate stability and empower districts to continue their indispensable programs without disruption, ensuring that no student is left behind.' To take advantage of this limited E-Rate offer, please visit our website. About Kajeet: Kajeet provides optimized IoT connectivity, software and hardware solutions that deliver safe, reliable, and controlled internet connectivity to nearly 3,000 businesses, schools and districts, state, and local governments. Kajeet's award-winning management platform, Sentinel®, includes visibility into real-time data usage, policy control management, custom content filters for added security, and multi-network flexibility. Since 2003, Kajeet has helped thousands of organizations connect over a million devices around the world. To learn more, visit Media Contact: Linda Jennings, Kajeet Corporate Communications 248-521-3606 ljennings@
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Yahoo
Schuylkill Haven Area School District introduces AI policy for students, staff
Schuylkill Haven Area School District officials are looking to establish guidelines for how students and staff engage with AI technology. At a meeting Wednesday, the school board held the first reading of the newly proposed artificial intelligence policy. 'It is absolutely mind blowing how quickly AI is taking off,' said Matthew Buletza, director of learning innovation. 'We need to protect our students…teach students how to use it appropriately and teach staff how to use it to push the bar forward.' The policy's stated goal is to ensure that AI is used ethically and responsibly to enhance teaching, learning and administrative processes, while safeguarding student privacy and data security. It calls for students at all grade levels to be taught how to use AI tools, as well as the necessity of proper human supervision, critical thinking and skepticism regarding accuracy. 'Such instruction should aim to empower students with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the increasingly prevalent presence of AI technologies in their academic and personal lives,' the policy says. To let students know whether AI can be used to complete certain assignments, the policy directs teachers to use an assignment rating scale from zero to four, with zero being no AI assistance allowed and four allowing full use of AI with human oversight. Students who violate the assignment standards may be subject to detention, suspension or expulsion, the policy notes. In addition, the policy allows teachers to use approved AI websites and applications to assist with grading student work, although it says final grading decisions must be made by teachers. AI tools approved by district personnel may also be used to assist with human resource processes, although humans must still make the final call regarding employee evaluations, promotions and hiring, the policy says. The policy also: • Mandates filters that block 'obscene or pornographic material' on district-owned computers and the school provided internet, in compliance with the federal Children's Internet Protection Act. • Prohibits the use of the personally identifiable information of students while using AI websites, tools or applications that have not been approved by district technology personnel. • Directs district technology staff to establish a process for teachers and administrators to request approval of new AI resources. • Requires those using AI resources to adhere to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law that protects the privacy of students' education records. • Directs officials to establish protocols for vetting AI tools before they are used for budgeting, payroll, financial or population forecasting, HR analytics and similar tasks. • Directs officials to offer regular professional development training for administrators, teachers and staff on the ethical and appropriate use of AI in school. 'AI can be used to take our information and make sense of all the data that we collect, but we've got to be careful of putting any student identifiers in there that would put them at risk,' Buletza said. 'Trying to give our teachers everything they need, too. It's a brand-new world for everybody.' The policy has not been finalized and may be subject to change before approval, officials noted.
