The Congress Process
The Congress on the Future of Content is an initiative designed to improve access to high quality content
for teachers and students and to increase the market for that content.
Process overview - T.H.E. Journal is leading an initiative to examine the future of content in education.
The initiative features an innovative process that brings to the table consumers of content (educators),
publishers and providers of content, and distributors of content in an on-going dialog both face-to-face and virtually.
Starting with hearings in the textbook adoption states of Texas and Florida, the initiative will culminate in a
Congress on the Future of Content in Education May 8-9 in Washington, DC. After the Congress, articles,
webinars, wikis and blogs will keep the discussion alive.
The initiative not only will examine the possible future of content in education, but also it will
provide the opportunity to shape the future. The hearings and Congress will examine two core questions:
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- What is your vision for content over the next five years and how that content should be delivered?
- What are the barriers to implementing that vision?
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Based upon the barriers identified in the hearings and examined in a white paper, small working groups will be formed
at the Congress to create action steps to alleviate or eliminate the identified barriers.
T.H.E. Journal will track and report on the progress on the action steps throughout the year,
as well as at the annual Congress meeting.
The initiative will be led by Dr. Geoffrey H. Fletcher, Editorial Director of T.H.E. Journal.
Prior to joining T.H.E. Journal, Fletcher was an assistant commissioner at the Texas Education Agency (TEA)
where he had responsibility for curriculum, assessment, textbooks, technology and professional development.
During Fletcher’s tenure at TEA, Texas created the first state-wide long-range plan for technology, enacted a
$100 million annual technology allotment, and passed the first “electronic instructional media system” funded by
state textbook funds.
Dr. Fletcher will be joined on an information gathering task force by industry leaders from basal
textbook publishers, digital content providers, content delivery companies and professional organizations
representing the content industries (AAP, AEP, SIIA), educators (CoSN, ISTE) and education technology
directors from state departments of education (SETDA).