    RECORD TYPE: PRESIDENTIAL  (TRP NOTES MAIL)

    CREATOR: Jim Kohlenberger ( CN=Jim Kohlenberger/O=OVP [ OVP ] )

    CREATION DATE/TIME: 9-DEC-1996 22:44:18.00

    SUBJECT:  Redstone group update

    TO: Gregory C. Simon ( CN=Gregory C. Simon/O=OVP @ OVP [ OVP ] )
    READ:UNKNOWN

    TO: Toby Donenfeld ( CN=Toby Donenfeld/O=OVP @ OVP [ OVP ] )
    READ:UNKNOWN

    TEXT:
    Greg,

    	Toby said you asked for a copy of the lunch memo (below) and an

    update on the Redstone group.

    	Update on the Empowerment Zone schools: In talking with both

    Kassie Cantor and Lynn Forrester, Redstone is going to call the RBOC CEOs

    whose service areas include the 5 or so worst zones that we identified.  I

    think Ray Smith is going to call Notebardt.  They are asking for the

    modems, phone lines installation, and service that we spoke about to

    finish the job.  They believe we will have the commitments this month.

    They have not said they can guarantee that the modems etc are actually

    hooked up this month though.  Also know that we are talking with Labor

    leaders about helping out as well.

    	As for the staff to staff meeting, what I talked to Lynn about was

    doing a meeting in early January.  No one thinks that there is any more to

    gain on the EZs by doing the meeting this month.  In fact by completing

    the zones without a meeting allows us to get together with a win under our

    collective belts.  By not doing the meeting in December, we can keep them

    entirely focussed on the Zones this month.

    	For the meeting in January we have talked about what amounts to a

    seminar with three main agenda items.  1) where are we at as a nation on

    the four pillars i.e 9% of classrooms connected, 30 to 1 computer ratio

    etc  2) what are the successful programs across the country, i.e. Netdays,

    succesful summer teacher training programs etc., that could be replicated

    on a national scale, 3) what are we as an Administration doing and what

    are they as individual companies doing now and what are they going to do

    in the future.

    	Since many of the participants have very divergent views of the

    group, the thought is that such a meeting will allow everyone to get on

    the same page, allow the companies to brag about what they are already

    doing, and tie our administration programs together.

    	Its clear that Viacom got three seperate messages when they met

    with us, when they met with the FCC and when they met with Commerce.  We

    have some homework of our own to get our folks on the same page.

    	Let me know what you think we need to be doing.

    Jim

    ===========================================================================

    =======

    December 4, 1996

    MEMORANDUM FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT

    FROM:		JIM KOHLENBERGER

    			TOBY DONENFELD

    SUBJECT: 		EMPOWERMENT ZONE EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

    	As you know, last February you set a goal of connecting every

    Empowerment Zone school to the Information Superhighway this year.

    What has been done.

    To meet this goal, AT&T and America On-Line have offered free Internet

    accounts for each of the 450 schools.  The President,s Executive Order on

    computers has helped us to transfer more than 2500 computers from federal

    agencies to these schools.  The CyberEd truck that you launched from the

    White House last April has now visited each of the 15 large urban and

    rural zones, travelling more than 25,000 miles and training 4500 teachers

    administrators and parents from the zones in the use of the Internet while

    catalyzing local efforts to support your initiative.

    Completing the goal.

    As a result of these efforts, 63% of the EZ schools now have an Internet

    connection somewhere in the school, putting your goals within reach.   The

    remaining job largely involves providing modems and installing phone

    lines.  We are also having luck working through some of the most

    challenging problems including schools with asbestos problems, inadequate

    electrical infrastructure, and schools who aren,t interested.

    To get the remaining schools on-line we are we are working with the group

    of CEOs led by Sumner Redstone that you and the President recently

    announced in Tennessee.  We are also working with a group of labor unions

    who want to help us connect the remaining Empowerment Zone schools.  The

    unions include the AFL-CIO, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) ,

    The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the

    American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

    Completion

    Connecting the Empowerment Zone schools is probably the single largest

    effort in the country to bridge the gap between information have and have

    nots.  Since you announced this initiative at the Empowerment Zone

    conference last year, the upcoming Empowerment Zone conference might be

    the perfect venue for announcing the completion of the goal to connect

    every Empowerment Zone school.

    Snowe-Rockefeller

    As an aside, the recent recommendation by the federal state joint board on

    Snowe-Rockefeller would give 90% discounts on telecommunications services,

    inside wiring, Internet service and installation to the poorest schools in

    the country including the Empowerment Zones.