Tech Firms Help Get Stimulus Funds

Anthony Salcito understands the economic challenges K–12 schools face today. That’s why the general manager of U.S. education for Microsoft says the $115 billion in federal stimulus money earmarked for education has spurred the tech giant into action. “We’re focused on how we can partner with schools on using these funds,” says Salcito. “We can help articulate the road map and connect the dots.”

Other tech firms, including Apple, have also begun contacting schools, with some organizations offering to set up seminars and Webcasts to walk educators through the process of how to capture some of the money—and, of course, suggest ways to spend it.

President Obama has made it clear—he expects states to dedicate some of these funds to classroom computers and other technology so that American students can be competitive on the global playing field. However, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan also expects schools to be able to show how they’re using this money—and how it’s benefiting students.

Microsoft hopes schools might turn to its educational analytics program, which Salcito says can help teachers analyze data culled from students and “drive more personalized learning.”

But some K–12 educators worry that the stimulus money will patch budget holes already crippling school districts—as opposed to pushing schools forward. “If [stimulus funds] become available, I’d jump on it,” says Kay Hones, a school librarian at Stevenson Elementary School in San Francisco. “But I think it might just get schools back to where they were.”