Far More Expensive Than Previously Posted

In a prior post, I pointed out that the internet and other technology requirements for participation in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) would lead to significant cost increases for the State of Alaska. I had previously estimated this would lead, at the very least, a doubling of Alaska's Education budget. That estimate was based on the data requirements for the older broadband requirements of SBAC, and not the newer requirements that they will be issuing.

These new requirements are quite significant. I spent a bit of time researching them.

Andrew Dyrli Hermeling, expects the data requirements to be 1 Gig mbps per 1,000 students by 2016, and that is beyond the NBPs plan. The new requirements were discussed in an article published by the State education Technology Association.  Schools have three years to meet them.

This is huge. This is technology that is beyond the National Broadband Policy (NBPs). Alaska is struggling to implement the 2010 policy, and that cost would be enormous. The technology that Hermeling intends to impose on Alaska is beyond what Anchorage has available. In fact, it is only available in 11 places in the United States, and none of them are anywhere near Alaska. In places like Morristown, TN, this service is currently offered for $849.00 a month to residential subscribers.

Goodness only knows how much this would cost in Alaska.

Alaska can have the Common Core without SBAC. It can form a consortium with the University of Alaska Fairbanks or it can tell the Federal Government to fly a kite.  Really, expecting rural communities to invests their money on high speed data lines rather than meeting other needs is ridiculous.

I am not against Broadband or high speed internet. But I think Alaskans should have a conversation about what is in the best interest of their children. I think there needs to be honest and open discussion about what the state is doing.  This is something Alaskans should be deciding, not a distant group of technical experts who think they know what is best for Alaskans.

My prior estimates were very low. Our state is dipping into the reserve fund. Where is the money for this madness going to come from? Why is it that Mike Hanley gets to decide the matters, rather than Alaskans?

Call the Governor TODAY. Get Alaska out of SBAC. You can also tweet Governor Parnell at @GovSeanParnell

Note: an earlier draft on this topic is at  http://stopalaskacommoncore.com/?p=93