***HAPPENING NOW*** Joint Subcommittee Hearing: How Data Mining Threatens Students’ Privacy

PRESS RELEASE from: Congressman John Kline, Chairman
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2014 CONTACT: Press Office
(202) 226-9440

LIVE Webcast – Click here to watch the LIVE webcast of the hearing.
Opening Statement of Subcommittee Chairman Todd Rokita (remarks as prepared):

We are dealing with an issue today that is both critically important and exceptionally complex.

Why is it so important? As we fight for all Americans looking to build better lives for themselves and their families, we know that a quality education is at the root of that better life. With very few exceptions, a worker will not succeed in the workforce if they failed as a student in the classroom. A strong education system is essential to a strong America. That is why we should encourage innovative solutions to raise achievement and embrace new technologies that allow us to teach children in more effective ways.

We all can see how acquiring data on student performance can revolutionize student learning. For starters, data can provide an early warning to teachers, alerting them to students who are falling behind and need extra help. It can also awaken parents to the challenges their child is facing so they can step in with additional support at home. Additionally, data on student achievement can equip local communities with the information needed to hold their schools accountable, as well as enable schools to share information on what’s working in their classrooms and what’s not.

Why is it so complex? Well, I think we’ve learned by now that modern technology is anything but a simple concept. The science and ingenuity behind each new smart phone, app, computer, or piece of software is tough to comprehend, yet these products have become an integral part of our everyday lives. It’s hard to imagine what life would be like if we never heard of names such as Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.

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