EASTON, Md.- Schools across Maryland are busy planning their reopening this fall. In Talbot County, the district is looking at several plans on how to safely get students and teachers back in a classroom.
Talbot County Public Schools is considering several different options, varying between in-person, online and a combination of the two. Superintendent Dr. Kelly Griffith says they'll have a plan set in stone by the end of July. While the school year is still up in the air, it's likely that virtual learning will be implemented at many schools, at least to some degree. Making sure students have the technology and devices is key in moving forward, but Griffith says getting students those devices was not the problem.
"In the spring when we went all virtual, we realized how blessed we were to have a lot of technology devices and we did have enough to have devices one to one K-12," Griffith says.
The school district quickly realized it had a digital divide. Some families did not have access to the internet. Griffith says that finances played a big role for some families who could not afford internet access in the first place, or they needed to prioritize their spending amid the shutdown.
"The second is because of a rural area," Griffith adds. "There's a lot of areas that don't have broadband access. So quickly, we realized the digital divide was going to cause more of an achievement gap if we didn't move quickly."
Griffith says she then reached out to the Talbot County Public Schools Education Foundation, which launched the Digital Divide Campaign. The non-profit is raising money to help give at least 300 families internet access at a discounted rate for the year.
"I think it's most important for synchronous learning where students are, like you and I right now, are engaged virtually and that is our goal," Griffith says. "I mean we're planning four different models right now to go back to school but if it is in anyway virtual at any time, it is so important for students to engage with their teacher."
The campaign has raised $33,000 of its $60,000 goal so far. The district will also be receiving funding through grants and the CARES Act for hot spots. Dr. Griffith says this is only the first step in finding a long-term fix for many families who can't access the internet.
"I think we got a handle on what the problem was. We just needed a Band-Aid and now we're looking for long term solutions and we're hoping that our local, state and federal government steps up with that connectivity," Griffith says.
