Читать книгу From Reopen to Reinvent - Michael B. Horn - Страница 16

Today's school system assumes that children like Jeremy will have tools, resources, and opportunities—when in fact they aren't readily accessible to them.

Families with means can buy enrichment and advancement opportunities or, at the minimum, childcare. But families without these resources just have to make do—whether that means hours in front of the TV and video games, or worse. Jeremy has no access to summer camp or other chances to expand his horizons and imagine life outside of his home and immediate neighborhood. In normal years, when Jeremy returns to school in the fall, his classmates have done everything from coding to sports to arts camps. Or they've taken advanced math classes so they can get an edge when they go back to school. Jeremy has none of that.

The system also assumes that Jeremy has access to things like computers and the Internet—or even books at home to build his background knowledge across an array of subjects, which will give him the foundation to learn what his school teaches. But as we've learned during the pandemic, many families can't afford these tools and services. Even after roughly a year of trying to get all children connectivity, somewhere between 9 and 12 million students still didn't have adequate Internet at home.¹

It's not like Jeremy's mom consciously realized she couldn't afford all these products and services. No one sent her a list. Families with means talk and network to find these opportunities. Families without struggle.