neighborhood news
The Deepening Digital Divide Lack of Devices, Connectivity and Support Hamper Remote Learning
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by Eva Herscowitz
s a working parent and parents of young children, virtual learncandidate for Ward 8 State ing often means helping their children Board of Education, Lanavigate not just content, but digital platJoy Law (lajoylaw2020. forms. This became routine for parent com) is dependent on the Grace Hu, who leads the Digital EquiInternet. To stay connected in her home, ty in DC Education (w6pspo.org) coaliLaw has for the last couple of years relied tion, and her elementary school daughter. on a hotspot. However, when the pan“I had to be involved to help her acdemic moved both her daughter’s charcess documents and then upload her ter school and her job online, the need schoolwork,” Hu said. “That’s just really for a faster, more stable connection behard as a working parent.” Some parents came urgent. may not have the technical skills to help, Law eventually secured affordable, or may not be English speakers which high-speed access from Comcast’s Intercan making helping their child very difnet Essentials program (Internetessenficult if not impossible. tials.com). She hopes her story encourages others to reach out for help. Schools Doing it Right “There’re some families where Despite the myriad of problems, some children were going to school on their schools and community members have phones,” Law said. “I know how hard it successfully bridged the digital divide. was to not have internet, because I was They serve as models for others facing trying to figure it out.” technology challenges in the era of virtuWith public schools and charter Student and teacher: A student at Eagle Academy Public Charter School works with a teacher. al learning. schools opting for online instruction Photo: Karen Alston Eagle Academy Public Charter this fall due to COVID-19, the District’s School (eagleacademypcs.org) serves digital divide is deepening across racial, net-enabled devices and digital literacy resources. Accordchildren in grades pre-K to third at two campuses. Since economic and geographic fault lines. According to a new ing to the Washington Teachers’ Union (wtulocal6.net), up 2012, the school has issued an iPad to each student for study conducted by the Alliance for Excellent Education to a quarter of public school students didn’t have a device classroom use loaded with educational software and age ap(All4Ed), the National Indian Education Association, the or WiFi by the end of the school year. DC Public Schools propriate content, Chief Marketing Officer Karen Alston National Urban League and UnidosUS, DC has the sec(DCPS) pledged to provide devices for students who do said. Like most schools have since March 2020, Eagle Acadond largest gap nationally for high-speed internet access benot have them for the 2020-2021 school year. emy has navigated an uncharted educational landscape. But tween white students and Black and Latino students. While The District’s current education budget is too small years spent bridging the digital divide placed the school 27 percent of Black students and 25 percent of Latino stuto supply every DCPS student with a device, according to “ahead of the curve,” Alston said. dents lack home Internet, only five percent of their white Ward 7 State Board of Education Candidate Eboni-Rose Eagle has “always been a high-tech school,” said Joe peers are similarly disadvantaged. Thompson (ebonirosedc.com). While a student may have Smith, Eagle Academy’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief In the District, the need for equitable device distribuaccess to a device, it may be shared with siblings, she points Financial Officer. Over 80 percent of its students were comtion, internet access and tech support has never been greatout. Even if there is access to a device, it may be unsuitable pletely set up for online instruction within the first week er. Despite the difficulties, some schools and advocates have for attending virtual classes or completing homework. of the switch to remote learning last spring. This relatively managed to begin to bridge the divide. “The city is assuming every charter school is one that’s smooth transition was built on a strong technological foungiving away laptops,” Thompson said. “That’s not true.” dation and extensive device distribution. In addition, District student access to the internet varThe Digital Divide iPads are effective for both teacher-guided learning and ies widely. According to a report released by All4Ed (all4ed. The District’s digital divide is greatest in Wards 5, 7 and 8, independent exploration, Smith said. Students often come org), 20,278 children lack high-speed home Internet in DC, upon news articles or math websites on their own. From where resident median household income is lowest. These and 77 percent of those students were Black. home, teachers can assess and support students through the wards are also home to most of the District’s Black resiEven if a student has a device and broadband access, same platforms utilized in a classroom environment: Fast dents, many of whom lack broadband internet access, interthey and their parents may run into technical issues. For 10
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