WOBURN – Superintendent Matthew Crowley is pleased to share that Woburn Public Schools’ Director of Technology and Innovation Jennifer Judkins attended an Ed Tech Advocacy and Policy Fly-in event in Washington D.C. for the third consecutive year.
Judkins attended the Ed Tech Advocacy and Policy Fly-in event, along with two other technology directors from Massachusetts and a representative from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) Office of Ed Tech, on Tuesday, May 2, in Washington D.C. The event is designed to facilitate discussion on educational technology topics between representatives of school districts, states, education service agencies, members of Congress, their key congressional staff, and leaders of education professional associations.
At the event, Judkins met with staffers from Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s, Sen. Ed Markey’s, and Rep. Catherine Clark’s offices, along with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairs, to advocate on matters of student data privacy, funding for cybersecurity response, and more.
“It was an honor to participate in the Ed Tech Advocacy event to connect with educational leaders from across the US who share many of the same priorities around student data privacy, access to technology, and cybersecurity,” said Judkins. “Meetings with legislative staff provided a unique opportunity to share specific challenges and successes we face in Woburn to help contextualize and hopefully influence policy decisions moving forward.”
Discussions at the event focused on current issues such as e-Rate, a grant program that helps to fund approximately 60 percent of Woburn’s IT Infrastructure improvements annually, including the support to include cybersecurity to protect student data.
Judkins helped facilitate discussions on supporting and protecting students’ personally identifiable information, as well as enhancing the K-12 Cybersecurity Act, as it has been noted as a significant concern for K-12 schools given the national rise in cyberattacks and vulnerability of students with regard to identity theft.
The homework gap was another key topic, specifically advocating for making the Emergency Connectivity Fund permanent. Woburn received over $440,000 in ECF funding over the past two years to help purchase student devices and assist with internet service for low-income families.
“Jennifer’s dedication to technology education and improving the lives of our students is apparent through her commitment to training and advocacy,” said Superintendent Crowley. “Her attendance at the Ed Tech Advocacy and Policy Fly-in for the third year in a row demonstrates that commitment. We are very lucky to have her here in Woburn.”