School buildings across the country have been closed for nearly two months now in order to save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19. But with learning shifting online, so many students are virtually locked out of the classroom simply because they don't have access to reliable internet or connected devices at home.
The digital divide was a problem before the coronavirus hit, but now it's a full-on crisis. Every day students go without internet at home, it's the equivalent of missing a day of school. Our children deserve better than this.
Today, we're calling on Congress to take steps to address the "homework gap," which affects nearly 12 million children in both cities and rural communities throughout the U.S., by providing at least $4 billion in funding to expand E-Rate to purchase WiFi-hotspots, modems, computers and other needed devices for students.
Join us by tweeting in support of funding for internet access and devices and using the hashtags #HomeworkGap and #Erate.