04/15/2021
At the beginning of the pandemic, we saw our school districts have a huge lack of laptops for our students to be able to effectively engage in remote learning. At the highest peak of the pandemic, we estimate about 285,000 students did not have access to the internet in WA State, and part of that lack of access was not having a laptop.
TAKE ACTION FOR OUR STUDENTS
https://bit.ly/3uRuFCm
The WA State Senate, in floor action, removed ALL digital equity language from E2SSB 1365.
1) The Equity in Education Coalition, its members, and its supporters appreciate the inclusion of media and digital literacy training in HB 1365 since that training and those grants compliment the underlying bill and are needed for our state’s students.
2) The amendment on the floor of the Senate removed the focus on ensuring all K-12 students have access to 1:1 devices. We ask that you include the provision of 1:1 devices in our schools to ensure that all students have access to technology that will become more necessary based on what we have learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ensuring access to a device for each student will make sure there is equitable access to online resources for all students across the state.
3) The amendment also put the focus back on the ESDs to provide the training. There needs to be more focus on not only the ESDs and OSPI but also the ability for local districts and individual schools to have input into their needs. To ensure equitable access to both resources and training, there needs to be a focus on local schools and school districts. Within ESDs and even districts there can be disparities regarding resources, training and devices. Consulting with teacher-librarians will help identify WHAT is needed but working with local school districts and schools will help with WHO needs the assistance the most and WHERE the training and devices are needed.
Please ask our legislators to amend HB 1365 to include 1:1 devices and more localized input, including community based organizations. https://bit.ly/3uRuFCm
