Emily Tate

Though about 12 million students in the United States still lack any internet access at all—a problem cast into relief during the pandemic—there is good news: That number is steadily shrinking. Yet, even as the number of unconnected students declines, there is another group that, for years, has made virtually no headway. That is students who are “under-connected.” Students and families who are considered under-connected are those who have internet access and devices in their home, but not at a caliber or quality sufficient for smooth and consistent online learning.

In a matter of days, the “homework gap” widened to a full-fledged learning gap, as computers and internet connections soared to the top of the list of required school supplies and districts made hasty plans to roll out virtual learning. What that disparity has revealed about the education inequities in our country, according to Common Sense Media’s CEO Jim Steyer, is “a national disgrace.” “Millions and millions of kids … don’t even have the basic essentials of what they need to be students during this time,” Steyer said.

While most schools in the US boast broadband access these days, there is a homework gap—the problem created when students who use digital learning in class can’t get online at home to finish up their schoolwork. There isn’t going to be a silver bullet on this issue, said Susan Bearden, chief innovation officer at the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), during a panel at the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition conference.