Coronavirus And Schools: Officials Trying To Close 'Homework Gap' Amid Pandemic
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Public schools in Maryland and elsewhere are racing to get their students as much as they need in an effort to keep the learning going during the coronavirus pandemic.
From computers to WiFi hotspots, school leaders know it takes a lot more than paper and a pencil to learn these days, but access to the devices students need can be a challenge.
"We definitely don't have enough students that have computers at home," Patterson High School teacher Jelytca Padro said.
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Millions of students nationwide are falling behind in what's being called a "homework gap," referring to kids who don't have access to the internet and can't access virtual classrooms.
"It is becoming painfully clear now that not every child is connected," FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said.
Schools are trying to overcome those challenges by providing laptops and hotspots, but solving one problem can create others.
"Young people going home with a device does not necessarily mean that they're going to have connectivity when they get back home," Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Sonja Santelises said.
Padro said she has more than 100 students but some haven't ben able to access her virtual classes.
"Maybe their cell phone is disconnected at this time and they don't have a computer at home so how do we reach those students first and foremost?" she said.
In Baltimore, school leaders are working with companies like Comcast, which already offers low-cost internet for low-income residents, to negotiate deals to provide connectivity for students.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
