Teachers are unimpressed with the Obama administration's plan to upgrade technology in schools.
Dennis Van Roekel, the president of the National Education Association, said he is "beyond frustrated" with a plan announced Friday by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler.
"We feel the chairman is missing the opportunity to seize the moment and truly address the items that will bring broadband to the communities who need it the most," the head of the nation's largest teachers union said in a statement. "This failure will have a negative impact on students and educators, especially in urban, rural, and low-density populated areas."
Real reform would require the administration to spend more money on the initiative, according to Van Roekel and other education advocates.
President Obama announced a plan last year to bring high-speed Internet to 99 percent of U.S. students within five years. With Congress blocking nearly all of Obama's domestic initiatives, the issue is one of the few areas where Obama can make progress without congressional approval.
The plan hinges on the FCC overhauling "E-Rate," a fund that has subsidized Internet access in schools and libraries for nearly 20 years. Money for the fund comes from fees on monthly phone bills.