WASHINGTON — As soon as the federal pandemic relief started arriving at America’s schools, so did the relentless calls.
The pandemic sparked a boom for tech companies as schools went online. Revenue skyrocketed and investors poured billions into startups. Many schools bought software to communicate with parents and teach students remotely. But some of the biggest contracts went to companies that promised to help kids catch up on learning.
Education technology accounts for a relatively small piece of pandemic spending. Tech contracts released by Clark County amount to about 6% of its $1.2 billion in federal relief money. But nearly all schools spent some money on technology.The company Edmentum says Clark County students who used one of its programs did better on standardized tests. But a study of a ThinkCERCA literacy program found it had no impact on scores.
Jefferson County declined an interview request, saying most of the contracts were approved by officials who have left. Asked for records evaluating the use and effectiveness of the purchases, the district said it had none.“We will be compiling baseline data and the new academic leadership team will be analyzing it to determine the impact these programs are having on student learning,” a district statement said.
Ryan, the former edtech marketer, said that at the end of the day, no technology can guarantee results. The mother of tattoo artist Shani Louk who was paraded semi-naked on a Hamas truck makes a public plea for more information