The Talbot County Public Schools Education Foundation is seeking financial contributions to help close the “Digital Divide” that has impacted student access to learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their goal is to raise $60,000 through the “Digital Divide Campaign.”
Established in 2016, the Education Foundation’s mission is “to engage the community in supporting excellence in public education and provide resources to enhance the teaching and learning experience for ALL.” When schools closed due to COVID-19, school districts were directed to provide “Continuity of Learning” using digital devices and communications. While virtual learning is not new to TCPS, the need to quickly transition ALL students and staff exclusively to this model presented significant challenges, and put some students at greater risk of being unable to succeed.
“As an educator in the district, I have experienced this technological divide impacting my partnership with families for some time,” explains Lindsey Higginbottom, Assistant Principal, Easton Elementary School and member of the Education Foundation Board. “Having internet access is something many of us take for granted. Not having the internet obviously makes learning from home during this time a challenge, but it has also been a challenge for our families to simply connect.”
“Families connected have been fortunate to access additional online resources for their child to practice at home,” Mrs. Higginbottom added.“A student in my class who was absent due to illness could easily hop on one of our frequently used platforms to keep up with their schooling before returning. Families have had direct access through web pages and email to connect with teachers beyond the school day and even monitor their child’s grades long before the quarterly report card was sent home.”
TCPS provides devices for every student in grades K-12. All students in grades 6-12 took their district-issued laptops home with them when schools closed on March 13, and iPads were distributed to students in grades K-5 the following week. Students who did not have reliable internet access received packets of school work to complete each week through the end of the school year. The “Digital Divide” describes the lack of educational equity for students who could not access on-line teaching platforms or engage with their teachers virtually. As a result, the educational experience of these students suffered.
Curtis Hulliger, Technician and Dr. Kelly Griffith, Superintendent were part of the team distributing iPads to TCPS students in grades K-5 the week after schools closed on March 13.
The challenge is two-fold:
• With 49% of TCPS students qualifying for Free and Reduced Meals, many families are unable to afford internet service.
• Also, internet service is either unreliable or unavailable in some parts of Talbot County where students and staff live.
Talbot Family Network facilitated a grant that enabled TCPS to purchase 100 “hot spots” to distribute to students and staff and provide internet access for three months. However funding is not readily available in the approved FY2020-2021 budget to cover the ongoing cost for connection, and the need exceeds the number of hot spots available.
TCPS has determined that there are at least 300 households in which students’ families are unable to afford or obtain reliable internet service. The school district is collaborating with Easton Utilities to develop discounted programs for families in their service territory, and hopes to form similar partnerships with internet providers who service the outlying areas in the county. As the estimated cost for the discounted programs is $200 per family per year, the Education Foundation set a $60,000 goal for the campaign ($200 x 300 families).
“As we develop various scenarios for the start of school for the 2020-2021 school year, students will continue to need technology and internet access. We cannot allow the digital divide to widen the achievement gap for our students,” explained Dr. Kelly Griffith, Superintendent of Schools. “The Digital Divide Campaign will help provide internet access for families in need and help us level the playing field with equitable access to a quality education.”
“As one of the teacher representatives on the advisory board, I have seen how the technology inequities like access to the internet have truly impeded student learning and progress particularly during the school closure,” said Jeremy Hillyard, Easton High Spanish Teacher and Foundation Board member. “While some students were receiving paper copies of work during the closure, this was extremely expensive and was a weekly recurring cost for the school system.”
“Optimistically, the school closure this spring has made us aware of technology inequities such as these,” Mr. Hillyard added.“If we continue this way in the new school year the problem will only exacerbate itself. Let us use this time, our power, and our financial resources to make this change for the TCPS students. They, their education, and their futures deserve it.”
Connection will provide students equitable access to learning in these unforeseen times. It will also provide opportunities to enrich, explore, research, connect, and monitor, all of which are important contributions to a partnership in building a child’s success. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the TCPS Education Foundation Digital Divide Campaign, go to the Education Foundation website: tcpsedfoundation.org or contact Debbie Gardner, Coordinator of Public Relations and Special Programs at 410-822-0330, ext. 102.
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