The School Superintendents Association (AASA)

AASA, the School Superintendents Association, advocates for the highest quality public education for all students, and develops and supports school system leaders. Founded in 1865, AASA is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA members are the chief education advocates for children, committed to advancing the goals of public education and championing children’s causes in their districts and nationwide. As school system leaders, AASA members set the pace for academic achievement. They help shape policy, oversee its implementation and represent school districts to the public at large. AASA members and the districts they serve are directly impacted by the E-Rate program and the support and connectivity it provides beneficiaries. A long-time member of EdLiNC, AASA is a proud partner of the coalition and strong supporter for the E-Rate program and related Federal Communications programs that expand students’ access to high-speed broadband connectivity.

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Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA)

The Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA) is a professional organization serving educational service agencies (ESAs) in 45 states; there are 553 agencies nationwide with hundreds of thousands of staff members. AESA is in the position to reach well over 80% of the public school districts, over 83% of the private schools, over 80% certified teachers, and more than 80% non-certified school employees, and well over 80% public and private school students. Annual budgets for ESAs come to $14.7 billion. AESA’s membership is agency wide and includes all ESA employees and board members.

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American Federation of Teachers (AFT)

The American Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for our students, their families and our communities. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through the work our members do.

 

American Library Association (ALA)

The American Library Association (ALA) is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with over 58,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. As part of its mission to provide leadership for the improvement of library services, enhance learning, and ensure access to information for all, ALA advocates for a strong and sustainable E-rate program at the Federal Communications Commission and with Congress. The nation’s more than 16,000 public libraries are found in virtually every community from the smallest rural town to the largest urban center and robust high-capacity broadband fuels the public’s access to computers, Wi-Fi, and other technology. Whether it’s for education, employment and entrepreneurship, health information, or civic engagement, as a founding member of EdLiNC, ALA works hard with coalition partners to guarantee our youngest learners, K12 students, and adult patrons are able to receive the broadband connectivity they need.

 

Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO)

Founded in 1910, the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) is an educational association that supports school business professionals—dedicated and trustworthy stewards of taxpayers’ investment in public K–12 education. Through its members and affiliates, ASBO International represents approximately 30,000 school business officials who oversee a variety of K–12 school support services, including technology procurement and management. As our members confront the rising demands of digital learning in their school systems, they are challenged by connectivity speeds that don’t meet the needs of today’s students. To ensure students have the necessary tools for their future, schools and libraries need high-speed connectivity in addition to non-broadband service support—and they need E-Rate support to deliver it. ASBO International is proud to be an EdLiNC member and strongly supports the federal E-Rate program and its role in promoting student success in an increasingly digitized world.

 

CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking)

CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking) is the premier professional association for school system technology leaders. For nearly 25 years, CoSN has provided leaders with the management, community building, and advocacy tools they need to succeed. Today, CoSN represents over 10 million students in school districts nationwide and continues to grow as a powerful and influential voice in K–12 education. The mission of CoSN is to empower educational leaders to leverage technology to realize engaging learning environments. Find out more about CoSN’s focus areas, annual conference and events, advocacy and policy, membership and the Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL®) certification exam at cosn.org. Learn more about our advocacy efforts at http://cosn.org/advocacy.

 

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE®) is the premier nonprofit organization serving educators and education leaders committed to empowering connected learners in a connected world. ISTE serves more than 100,000 education stakeholders throughout the world and is committed to ensuring that all districts, schools, and students are connected to the internet in the classroom and at home. As a member of EdLiNC, ISTE supported the FCC’s modernization of the E-Rate program, which included a permanent increase in its funding cap, and changes to the Lifeline program that addressed the homework gap.

 

National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)

Principals are the primary catalysts for creating lasting foundations for learning and improving the nation’s schools. Since 1921, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) has been the leading advocate for elementary and middle level principals or Pre-K–8 school leaders in the United States and worldwide. NAESP advances the profession by developing policy, professional development, and resources for instructional leadership that includes specialized support for early career principals. Key focus areas of policy and practice include Pre-K–3 education, school safety, technology and digital learning, and effective educator support. NAESP’s participation in EdLinc is consistent with its mission to advocate for greater investment in the nation’s schools through E-Rate and related programs to ensure student success. For more information about NAESP, please visit www.naesp.org.

 

National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and school leaders from across the United States and in over 35 countries. Founded in 1916, NASSP’s mission is to connect and engage school leaders through advocacy, research, education, and student programs. NASSP believes that technology can help reshape how education is delivered, making learning more personalized for each student and recognizing teachers as education designers. E-Rate has been transformative for many schools around the country—including high-poverty schools—by assisting them in creating updated, robust networks that can support a wide array of digital devices, tools, and learning models. We’re proud to be a member of EdLiNC to advocate modernization of the E-Rate program and additional funding to ensure that all schools have the capacity to support students for their technology future.

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National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)

The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a nonprofit membership association that provides services to more than 1,800 schools and associations of schools in the United States and abroad, including more than 1,500 independent private K–12 schools in the U.S.  NAIS empowers independent schools and the students they serve. The association offers research and trend analysis, leadership and governance guidance, and professional development opportunities for school and board leaders. NAIS is a founding member of EdLiNC and a strong supporter of the E-Rate program and providing high-speed broadband connectivity to schools and libraries.

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National Association of State Boards of Education

The National Association of State Boards of Education is the only national organization giving voice and adding value to the nation’s state boards of education. A non-profit organization founded in 1958, NASBE works to strengthen state leadership in educational policymaking, promote excellence in the education of all students, advocate equality of access to educational opportunity, and ensure continued citizen support for public education.

 

National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)

Rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) was founded in 1904 as a professional membership organization that assists its members to fulfill the teaching mission of the Church and to lead, learn and proclaim the good news of Catholic education. NCEA works to develop current and future leaders by strategically expanding professional development opportunities by providing high quality and timely educational and faith-formation resources for teachers and administrators serving almost 2 million students in Catholic schools. NCEA serves as a leading national voice for Catholic education. NCEA is a founding member of the EdLiNC coalition and continues to collaborate with its members to advance to the goal of providing affordable access to broadband connectivity that expands digital learning opportunities for all students in all classrooms in all schools.

 

National Education Association (NEA)

The National Education Association (NEA), which is the nation’s largest professional association, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. The Association’s 3 million members work at every level of the educational structure – from pre-school to university graduate programs – affiliated organizations in every state and in 14,000 communities across the United States. Among the NEA’s members are countless K–12-related individuals and entities that participate in or are directly affected by the E-rate Program and the support it provides to its many beneficiaries, including students. As a founding member of EdLiNC, the NEA is an active participant of the coalition and strong advocate of the E-rate and related Federal Communications Commission programs that improve and advance students’ access to high-speed broadband connectivity.

 

National PTA®

National PTA® is the oldest and largest child advocacy association in the United States, with 4 million members including parents, students, teachers, administrators and community leaders. Our association works to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. National PTA believes students must have access to digital devices and the internet to engage in 21st century learning. Access to today’s digital technology tools gives parents and family members the ability to easily communicate with their children’s teachers and access school websites and digital education content. As an active member of EdLiNC, National PTA continues to support E-rate and other programs that make digital communication and information services accessible and affordable for all children and schools.

 

National Rural Education Advocacy Coalition

The National Rural Education Advocacy Coalition (NREAC) is composed of state and national organizations concerned about educational opportunities for children who live in the rural areas of the United States and the coalition advocates for the highest quality education for the children of rural America’s public schools. The coalition represents the interests of rural public schools in the national forums in which such issues are decided and in a state when an issue affecting rural schools could have national impact. NREAC is committed to equitable and adequate funding of rural public schools, to national policy expanding the programs and services available to rural public schools and to maintaining rural schools as centers for learning and community life for rural America.

 

National Rural Education Association

The NREA (National Rural Education Association) was originally founded as the Department of Rural Education in 1907. It is the oldest established national organization of its kind in the United States. Through the years it has evolved as a strong and respected organization of rural school administrators, teachers, board members, regional service agency personnel, researchers, business and industry representatives, and others interested in maintaining the vitality of rural school systems across the country.

 

National School Boards Association (NSBA)

The National School Boards Association (NSBA) is the leading advocate for public education and supports equity and excellence in public education through school board leadership. NSBA represents state school boards associations and their more than 90,000 local school board members throughout the U.S. NSBA's Technology Leadership Network (TLN), founded in 1987 and positioned at the intersection of policy and practice, features innovative strategies in action, as school districts highlight effective technology solutions and provides the school board, administrators, and the district technology team with resources and experiences to help them make well-informed technology decisions.

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State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA)

SETDA's mission is to build and increase the capacity of state and national leaders to improve education through technology policy and practice. In carrying out this mission, we are committed to: serving every U.S. state and territorial education agency; maintaining a future-focused, holistic view on how to leverage technology for education; fostering collaboration among our members, strategic partners and other education leaders and policymakers; and taking action on important issues facing public education. 

 

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Secretariat of Catholic Education represents the nation’s largest private educator, with nearly 2 million students in more than 6,500 schools, on federal policy issues. The Secretariat advocates for the inclusion of and equitable services for Catholic school students and teachers in federal programs, such as E-Rate. Catholic school students should not be denied benefits they would be eligible for in government-run schools just because their parents sacrifice to provide a religious education. As a founding member of EdLiNC, the USCCB understands the importance of the E-Rate Program and digital connectivity for all students.

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