How do we address equity in online learning for K-12 students?
Just curious how others address this issue.
the Internet Service Providers will need to continue to deliver free WiFi to all. I don't understand or know everything about the way school finance works, and if it is such a sacrifice for the ISP's to offer, surely there's a way to include this as a necessary expense for each ISD. It is also important for every student to have a good, working device such as a Chromebook and if there is little to no tech support outside of those on staff who have other teaching positions, it would be helpful, if not vital, for every device to be the same within ISD's or school systems. I have been serving as a tech liaison, and it has been difficult negotiating the technical support required for various devices. For example, parents using their Samsung phone. It was very time consuming at the beginning of the COVID period to respond to parents requests for help in downloading Zoom, for example.
Given the nature of our country's "system" of education, which means giving over to local control, and then you have to do what you can to get into a "good school" which means an affluent ZIP code if you can't afford private or homeschool: I don't know how much equity we can have, and I don't know if we can get there any time soon.
What are your thoughts?
I agree with some of your comments, specifically about how internet providers need to provide the WiFi. You mentioned the companies should provide WiFi to all, I believe they should provide it to people who cannot afford it. People who can afford it should pay. Yes, I agree about your comments on a uniform platform for all students in a school district. I believe each student in a school district should have a Chromebook.
All of this is similar to the money people are receiving automatically from the Federal Government. The government should have only provided that money to people in need. The economy is going to take a long time to recover. The people who lost their job or the people who cannot work from home etc. should have received the money, NOT everyone! Retired people who did not lose their income should not receive the money.
Not to mention the unemployment money that people are receiving. People in need should receive extra money from the Federal Government NOT everyone. I know people who are making more money while they are out of work than if they were working!
