With Inequities, Income and Race Are Sure to Follow

The main premise in Poor Students Face Digital Divide in How Teachers Learn to Use Tech was to highlight the digital inequities between two schools in the same district. However, what this article has confirmed for me is the powerful historical disadvantages that still plague schools today. The bigger issue here is one of income and race. It seems like at the root of all inequities, topics closely related to income and race are not too far away. I have worked in two schools that are polar opposites and there are subtle differences that have huge effects on the students. The fact that the students at Sto-Rox High School, only 10 miles away, will never be exposed to things their peers at South Fayette are exposed too is depressing. The challenges that Sto-Rox faces are very real and in my opinion, it is unfair to place all of the blame on the school administration. In a building like that, yes, leadership matters; however, leadership is fighting a culture of students, parents, families, community members, teachers, and any other stakeholder that may come to mind. And, most, if not all of the time, the leader is ill-equipped to do so, or has not been able to choose a team around them to enforce and commit to a new vision for the school. As public education in our world continues to evolve and change, whether that includes technology or offering virtual learning days like our friends in VA beach, inequities will surface. I am willing to bet most of the inequities can be traced back to some issues that deal with race and income.