Reaction: Access Issues With K-12 Technology

It took me a while to grasp Amanda Toler’s post on schools struggling to close the digital divide. North Carolina has done well in some respects as the state’s 117 public school systems have established technology staff development programs to train the more than 80,000 educators.

It seems North Carolina, however, would benefit by following Maine’s lead to establish a technology initiative providing laptop computers and wireless networks for students and their teachers. The Pine Tree State operated a four-year program that offered about 34,000 laptop computers to middle school students. And the state signed a four-year, $37 million lease with Apple in 2002.

North Carolina and other states face a similar problem: money. A sensible solution?  Private sector funding to narrow the digital divide in the K-12 classrooms.