Our children are our future, and we have a responsibility to them today. This past school year did not go according to plan. It raised many questions about technology's role in education, highlighted student privacy issues that administrators have struggled with for years, and forced an increased reliance on technology at a rapid pace. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create unique challenges for the education system, it has lifted long-standing equity issues into sharp relief. The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is working to ensure that all students across the country have access to the technology they need to continue their education in this new reality.
Schools need to be flexible and carefully consider the options available to them, including if and when using technology is even the best choice. Early studies show that as many as 30 percent of students were largely unable to participate in this most recent virtual school semester due to access issues. The digital divide is being felt as never before, with deep inequities in students' access to both internet service and devices. Additionally, students still need access to the broader support systems provided by schools. Students with disabilities and English Learners have unique needs and many require certain accommodations that were previously unnecessary when they were meeting in the physical school building. These are just some of the very real considerations that schools must grapple with when moving to an online or hybrid learning model.
At CDT, we help parents and other caretakers navigate student privacy and data issues, equipping them with important questions to ask, as well as guidance on how to handle new challenges as the classroom moves into the home. We list up the voices of educators, students, and other underrepresented perspectives to strengthen their advocacy in the planning and recommendation process. We work with schools and state agencies to provide practitioners with the protocols, tools, and training they need to implement new technologies being used with privacy and equity considerations in mind.
With your support, we are putting democracy and individual rights at the center of the digital revolution. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Alexandra Givens,
President & CEO
Center for Democracy & Technology
