E-rate Commentary

John Harrington, CEMP

by John Harrington

January 21, 2026

What Experience Actually Gives You

In college, I played a lot of racquetball. When I first started, I ran all over the court. I chased the ball. I moved fast. I worked hard. And after...

by Alexis Old Crow

January 21, 2026

Policy Roundup: Broadband, USF, and E-rate Updates

Over the past week, several policy discussions provided important insight into the evolving broadband, Universal Service Fund (USF), and E-Rate landscape. Together, these conversations highlighted parallel developments across Congress, the...

John Harrington, CEMP

by John Harrington

January 14, 2026

What I’ve Been Thinking About Lately

Lately, I’ve been paying attention to where things “wobble” (technical management term)! Not in a dramatic way. Nothing is on fire. But in any organization — or family, or board,...

John Harrington, CEMP

by John Harrington

December 17, 2025

Guiding Principles from Guide Appreciation Week 2025

Each year at Funds For Learning, we set aside a week called Guide Appreciation Week. It is an intentional pause to recognize the people who do the day-to-day work of...

John Harrington, CEMP

by John Harrington

December 17, 2025

FCC Cybersecurity Pilot Funding Decisions Are Starting to Arrive: What to Know and What to Do Next

The FCC’s Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program is officially moving into its next phase. Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) are beginning to arrive for some Cybersecurity Pilot applications. We...

John Harrington, CEMP

by John Harrington

December 11, 2025

Guiding Principles for a Season of Change

In the past several months, my work has taken me from government filings to strategy sessions, from deep dives into data to conversations with technology leaders. Different rooms, different roles,...

John Harrington, CEMP

by John Harrington

December 4, 2025

What E-rate Applicants Are Telling Us About FY2026 and Why It Matters Right Now

The 2025 E-rate Trends Report offers one of the clearest pictures yet of what schools and libraries are experiencing as they prepare for the next funding cycle. With 1,329 respondents...

John Harrington, CEMP

by John Harrington

December 4, 2025

Why We Do the Trends Report Every Year

For more than a decade, we have published an annual study that captures the voices of school and library leaders across the United States. It is called the E-rate Trends...