Linked: New Data Suggest Pandemic May Not Just Be Leaving Low-Income Students Behind; It May Be Propelling Wealthier Ones Even Further Ahead
I think we sort of knew this was happening, but seeing all of the stats in the article below is alarming. There is, however an example of what it takes to keep kids engaged and learning even when they can’t go to school:
“Jefferson Parish Schools used a number of interventions to keep students engaged in academics after school buildings shut down. A call center staffed by central office employees and educators answered questions about logistics, student lessons and technology from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. Paper packets handed out to students with their grab-and-go lunches had stickers with an email address families could contact for help. The district also trained teachers in Google Classroom and partnered with an internet company to provide low-cost service to families.”
Now, before you start thinking I’m turning into an education blog, I want to take a look at adults and how this same sort of divide is probably playing out. How do you work from home when you don’t have reliable internet? And what can we do as a society, and employers, to broaden our labor pool by making sure everyone can have access to the technology required to work from anywhere when the office is shut down, or moving to limited availability?
Or will those of us privileged enough to already be in that spot, just continue to move further and further ahead and leave those folks behind?
It’s something to consider, and if your workplace isn’t considering it at all, can we questions their commitment to diversity?
See also – D.C. starts program to connect up to 25K low-income households to the internet for free – same point. Good, kids who can continue learning at home as school goes back and forth between in-person and online will have a chance to not get left behind. Now what about adults?
