PADCASTER President Jon Goldberg, left, and CEO Josh Apter, demonstrate their Padcaster Studio for remote and virtual learning, at EDTECHWEEK 2023, in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. As soon as the federal pandemic relief started arriving at America's schools, tech companies by the dozens wanted a chance to prove that their software or equipment was exactly what schools needed. As soon as the federal pandemic relief started arriving at America’s schools, so did the relentless calls.
The AP asked the nation’s 30 largest school districts for contracts funded by federal pandemic aid. About half provided records illuminating an array of software and technology, collectively called “edtech.” Others didn't respond or demanded fees for producing the records totaling thousands of dollars.
“It’s probably predatory, but at the same time, schools were looking for solutions, so the doors were open," Ryan said. Clark County schools spent more than $7 million on Achieve3000 apps. Some were widely used, such as literacy app Smarty Ants for young students. As districts spend the last of their pandemic aid, there is no consensus on how well the investments paid off.
In Louisville, Kentucky, education technology contracts totaled more than $30 million. The Jefferson County district signed contracts with online tutoring companies Paper and FEV for a combined $7.7 million. Millions more went to companies such as Edmentum and ThinkCERCA for software to supplement classroom teaching.