Governor Ned Lamont announced that Connecticut is providing a learning device to every student in need.
Gov. Lamont said it's a major milestone in the fight to close the digital divide in the state. Connecticut is the first state in the nation to provide a learning device to every PK-12 student in need.
The Everybody Learns Initiative also helped some 60,000 Connecticut families get online and introduced 160 internet hotspots around the state to help kids from kindergarten to 12th grade.
Manchester High School Principal, Katelyn Minor says it’s all about access for her more than 1,600 students.
“In March, we very quickly, changed everything about how we deliver teaching and learning with students, and without them, they wouldn’t have had access,” said Minor.
Since the outset of the pandemic earlier this year, school districts had been sharing data with the State Department of Education on the number of students who indicated that they were without a learning device or internet connection in their homes.
FOX61' Keith McGilvery asked Governor Lamont what the state needed to do to fully close the digital divide.
“Well first and foremost I want to keep our schools open as best I can," said Gov. Lamont, "You’re more likely to have an in-school option than in any other state in the region. Going forward we have the devices out there, we have the internet access out there, we have to work with parents to make sure they are comfortable with the internet learning and they can work with the kids."
With a third of Manchester High School students learning entirely from home, Minor insists on making sure all have access to the web is the next big step with educating kids during the pandemic but have been impressed with what they’ve seen so far.
“I am glad we collaborated so quickly to actually make it happen,” said Minor. Dias shared a similar upbeat perspective on the fact that so many students now have new technology. “
“One of the core lessons learned from last spring was that we must aggressively tackle our PK-12 digital divide if remote learning was part of our future normal,” Connecticut Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona said. “Under the leadership of Governor Lamont and through the partnership of Ray and Barbara Dalio and so many committed stakeholders, we did that by collectively expanding access to devices and connectivity to help level the playing field and address the disparities exacerbated by the pandemic. We are now leading the nation in removing the tech barriers that stood in the way of every child receiving a world-class education. While today’s milestone is one to be celebrated, we need to continue leading with a laser-like focus on accelerating learning and prioritizing equitable access to high-quality content, especially for our most vulnerable students.”
Educational ambassadors across the nation extended congratulations to the state on the milestone.
“I applaud Governor Ned Lamont and all of Connecticut for being the first state in the nation to achieve this milestone in ending the digital divide,” Arne Duncan, former U.S. Education Secretary under President Barack Obama, said. “This pandemic has made it abundantly clear that in the 21st century, all students deserve access to the educational resources they need to thrive not only in the classroom but also at home. Thanks to the remarkable work of Governor Lamont and the State of Connecticut, our nation is one step closer to closing our digital divide and achieving equitable educational opportunities for all students.”