3 Things to Know About the Digital Divide During the Pandemic 👨🏻‍💻
By Becky Pincince
John Harrington is the CEO of Funds For Learning (FFL), a firm that helps connect students to virtual services by working with schools and libraries to apply for internet connectivity funds. He joined the webinar moderated by Lisa Brady Gill to discuss the digital divide. It is a breathtaking reality that there are millions of K-12 students who lack adequate internet access at home, and many people in the education industry have been aware of this for some time.
Harrington called attention to a United States Government Accountability Office report to Congressional Committees released last year that called for the Federal Communications Commission to address the digital divide, or homework gap, with federal funding. The report stated:
“Students who lack [internet] access are at risk of missing opportunities to advance their education. Internet access is crucial not only inside the classroom — where it enables teachers to provide a richer learning experience — but also outside the classroom, because access is frequently necessary for doing homework.”
The digital divide is not new, but it has been exacerbated by the pandemic and is now at the forefront of many national conversations around education, which Harrington addressed in an opinion piece last month. Right now, students’ entire education is online, and during the webinar Harrington detailed why the digital divide is such a critical issue, what challenges there are to bridging it, and what actions can be taken at the federal level.
1. Student and Teacher Connectivity is Vital 🔌
Last year FFL conducted a nationwide survey about the homework gap. 82% of school districts said that the issue is real, prevalent, and having a significant impact on their communities. They estimated that 7.15 million households in the United States don’t have wifi because they can’t afford it.
This means there are millions of K-12 students who cannot watch lectures, submit assignments, collaborate with classmates, and ultimately attend online classes from their homes. Harrington added that as schools have shifted to remote learning, he’s also been surprised by the number of teachers who don’t have connectivity.
Previously many students and teachers had gone to fast food locations or libraries to work, but now that they have to stay home those options aren’t available. This is having a detrimental effect on the families, students, and teachers who are disconnected and isolated not only from educational resources, but also from their community. Harrington noted that the fact the webinar could be hosted and the speakers could interact was fantastic, but there are millions who do not have that opportunity.
As a result, many have found connectivity by doing things like going to library parking lots, but there have been issues with people breaking social distancing guidelines in order to get online. This is a terrible situation that they shouldn’t have to be in. Harrington recommended that communities who need help finding internet access, especially undocumented and homeless communities, get in contact with students’ schools and local libraries about options.
Whether or not quarantine or shelter-in-place orders continue or come back in the future, it’s incumbent upon local leaders at schools and libraries to make sure that their community members can access the internet, and they have shown that they are open to the idea of doing so. Many workplaces can shift to a remote work environment, and students and schools need to have that same flexibility.
2. There is No Magic Wand 🎩
Local leaders are rushing to address the digital divide, but their resources are limited and there is no magic wand. The challenges to connectivity vary by region, community, and even neighborhood, so it’s difficult to address it systematically because there are a range of reasons students and teachers can’t access the internet.
Sometimes families simply can’t afford it. For those that can, sometimes they have no or weak wifi or live in a place with no cable or telecom internet, which is especially common in rural areas. For those that can access reliable wifi, students may not have adequate devices to complete their work. For example, a student will have a much easier time doing research, writing papers, and viewing lectures on a laptop than a phone.
Right now common solutions include paper copies — which Harrington argues is not a solution in our current society — school buses serving as wifi hotspots, schools alerting students about locations they can access wifi, and donated devices with integrated connectivity so they can go online anywhere with cell service. Schools have been working with local service providers to get connections donated or discounted, and libraries are checking out hotspots and devices the way they do books.
These efforts are well-meant and Harrington emphasized that individuals should absolutely step up and help where they can. Ultimately, however, these grassroots actions are inconsistent, incompatible, and difficult to standardize. Standardization is important because teachers need to know what kind of devices their students are using so they can plan their lessons effectively. A student accessing class materials on their phone won’t have the same experience as a student seeing that same information on a laptop.
3. Federal Action is Necessary 🏛
FFL is working with several organizations that are talking to members of Congress and the Federal Communications Commission about steps that can be taken to bridge this divide quickly. This is important right now, but districts and library systems both need help in preparing and positioning for an uncertain future as well.
Funds for Learning estimated that ensuring all students and schools have internet access would take about $7.5 billion, which Harrington admits is a lot of money, but it pales against the backdrop of today’s stimulus economy where trillions of dollars are thrown around regularly. Also, the significance of having those internet connections is immense, and not just for education. Mental and physical health could both improve when people have the ability to meet with a doctor or counselor remotely.
Harrington noted that during the pandemic, many schools have had to shift to caring for basic needs — for example, one client said that they were serving three times as many meals and were worried about running out of food. He is concerned that this means money from sources such as the Education Stabilization Fund in the CARES Act will be used for things like salaries and food, leaving little left over for internet access and connective learning devices. FFL has been speaking with staff members of the Senate and the House about the HEROES Act, which allocates $5.5 billion for addressing the digital divide but may not be passed by the Senate.
