Crossing the Dividing Lines to Narrow Gaps
BY JEREMY A. LARSON/School Administrator, February 2022

As online classes, both synchronous and asynchronous, became necessary during the COVID-19 health crisis, the existing problem of the digital divide was exacerbated.

To narrow the gap between those who benefit from access to technological advancements and those who don’t, Illinois’ Paris Union School District 95 promoted collaboration with other school communities. Because higher-income districts do not face these problems to the degree lower-income districts do, collaborative teaching and sharing of educational re-sources are integral to bringing us out of this crisis.

We know from experience these helpful connections are doable. Our district of 1,300 students in eastern Illinois, three hours south of Chicago, has been hosting these types of collaborative events for more than a decade. 

Originally, we organized our own countywide Institute Day designed to help fellow educators and community members support one another. Due to the pandemic in 2020, the Paris district took the event virtual, allowing the event to grow from five school districts in our county to 30 districts, including many in neighboring counties.

In 2021, the same annual event grew to more than 160 school districts and 6,300 teachers. As a virtual event, the Institute Day conference allowed educators from around the state to attend the event without needing to worry about distant travel in a state the size of Illinois. Web conferencing technology greatly extends educators’ capacity to share knowledge and techniques.

The most recent event included keynote speakers and workshops on timely topics such as supporting LGBTQ students, suicide prevention methods, financial integrity for schools, Google certification and curriculum writing for online instruction. As the number of topics was extensive, teachers from all over could expand their professional knowledge in areas of less familiarity. Educators shared their experiences at roundtable workshops.

Sharing Possibilities

This type of collaboration is a prime example of how communities may come together to share resources, knowledge and skills to aid one another. While school districts across the country face huge issues, this does not mean we should operate without hope. Communities such as ours have demonstrated that small and large-scale collaborative efforts are absolutely possible.

Federal and state allocations of funding have eased the burden on school districts during this time. E-rate funding has made it possible for districts to increase their bandwidth, obtain fiber and provide laptops and hotspots to students. ESSER dollars have enabled school districts to upgrade their technology equipment and software to enhance their ability to teach remotely.

Paulo Freire, one of the most influential pedagogues of the last century, wrote: “There’s no such thing as neutral education. Education either functions as an instrument to bring about conformity or freedom.” This truth has become even more apparent within the last two years.

JEREMY LARSON is superintendent of the Paris Union School District 95 in Paris, Ill. Twitter: @drjeremylarson