Editorial from the Seattle Times
While many state’s students settle into new routines of remote learning, thousands still don’t have the devices or connectivity they need to learn online. That’s unacceptable.
Basic education is the constitutional right of every child. When students don’t have the essential tools for learning — regardless of whether public school instruction happens remotely, in traditional classrooms or some shifting combination of the two — that right is compromised.
Even though school districts and state leaders have had months to prepare for this unusual fall semester, some K-12 students still do not have the technology or internet connectivity required for remote learning.
In Washington, the greatest shortcoming is in access to broadband. State officials estimate that only about 78 percent of students had consistent access to a reliable internet connection last spring. This fall, that number is a mere 83 percent.
These figures are only estimates, created by combining data from a number of sources, including district reopening plans, an August digital access survey and surveys conducted last spring.
Philanthropy, private business and other community partners have stepped in to help close the technology gap by raising funds to help close the digital divide and support remote learning. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has vowed to match individual donations to this digital equity initiative up to $1 million per unique donor. This admirable effort is sure to make a difference in the coming weeks.
But what about the longer term? The pandemic has clearly shown that student access to technology is essential, not a luxury. As such, it calls for a sustainable, secure source of funding — no small task during these uncertain times.
And, as school districts are learning, remote online instruction is about more than distributing laptops and wifi hotspots. It requires ongoing support and systemwide change.
In Washington and other states, someone needs to be charged both with identifying and aligning resources to meet immediate needs and identifying long-term, systemic improvements to make remote online learning a reality for every student in the district.
The goal is to cross classroom boundaries to connect each student to remote learning. It could be a model for other districts in ensuring remote instruction isn’t leaving some kids behind.