Officials discuss proposals for fixing deep disparities in education digital divide

Federal and state officials said Wednesday that the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed grave disparities in education and the digital divide, posing challenges at all levels of government. “The laptops that many of our schools are providing, if you aren’t able to connect that somewhere, you still have a problem,” said Rep Alma Adams (D-NC), a member of the House Education and Labor Committee. Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said affordability is the biggest hurdle, particularly in rural and urban communities. “What we need to do is come up with programs that help households that are struggling with paying rent, paying for groceries, keep their internet bill so they can stay online for work, for school, for healthcare, and more.”