Homework gap: The digital divide crisis leaves millions of kids behind

The digital divide and the homework gap haven't gone away, even with new attention and funding directed toward emergency relief. The CARES Act, passed by Congress at the outset of the crisis, gave an initial boost that helped many schools purchase devices for students who didn't have them and pay for broadband service. Now, as educators and policy makers prepare for what's next, people are taking a hard look at where things stand and what lessons have been learned from this year. "The most exciting thing we learned about the homework gap during the pandemic is that schools are uniquely positioned to help close this divide for their students," said Amina Fazlullah, director of equity policy for Common Sense, a nonprofit focused on education. "Pre-pandemic, we relied on a patchwork of solutions from low-income programs or benevolent service providers, grand programs from the federal and state government. But most of these programs were developed with no coordination with the schools." Fazlullah said that's changing as schools see the real tangible effects of the digital divide.