A handful of education and business groups Thursday criticized the Obama administration's proposed drastic downsizing of the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program as part of the FY10 budget proposal. Under the plan, the Education Department program would shrink from $269 million to $100 million, according to the Consortium for School Networking, International Society for Technology Education, Software & Information Industry Association and State Educational Technology Directors Association. The organizations urged Congress to invest in EETT at levels higher than last year's appropriation because the program importantly spurs innovation and provides teacher training in the use of technology to improve student achievement.

The cut came as a major shock since the economic stimulus package signaled that the White House was prepared to invest significantly in educational technology, they said. The Obama administration has outlined a vision of educational innovation and improvement to enable American children to compete in the global economy but the FY10 budget request "falls far short of the targeted investments needed to ensure all students have the modernized classrooms and technology-rich instruction needed to achieve this vision," they wrote. "We have seen what works to boost student achievement, and technology is a key component in the equation to accelerate change, but we must have a sustained commitment of leadership and resources." Read more about EETT here.