The Gaps in Remote Learning
School Administrator, May 2020

WHEN WE MADE the decision to focus some attention on the so-called “homework gap” in this issue on technology leadership, none of us envisioned the wholesale migration to online instruction that would take place beginning in mid-March owing to the new coronavirus pandemic.

The decision to suspend in-person operations at schools in many parts of the country and move teaching and learning to online platforms exposed a tough reality: Not every student resides in a tech-ready home where it’s possible to log in to a virtual class-room. By one estimate (made by the Associated Press using 2019 census data), approximately 18 percent of students lack access to broadband internet where they live.

Our story by freelance writer Paul Riede describes how several school communities — in Sioux City, Iowa; Oak Park, Ill.; and Vancouver, Wash. — are tending to narrow or eliminate the digital inequities that will shortchange students, even when they are toting a school-issued Chromebook or other digital device for learning where they live.

No doubt, the impromptu online experiences taking place in teaching and learning this spring will yield an array of lessons to guide all school leaders when they double down on these digital hurdles in the coming school months. As such, we would welcome hearing from readers for our next round of attention.


Jay P. Goldman
Editor, School Administrator
Voice: 703-875-0745
Email: jgoldman@aasa.org
Twitter: @jpgoldman