Digital Divide and the gap between haves an have-nots
This is kind of stream of consciousness style, so sorry about that. Please help me connect the dots, fill in the gaps, etc.
How the digital divide ties into it..
Gap of information, schools can't afford paper, turn to e-communication, harder for people without computers, or sufficient time to spend on computers to check email and get information in a timely manner. Parents and students miss opportunities to be involved, fundraisers, and etc. which puts them at a further disadvantage.
How to address this...
Start or support non-profits that refurbish computers and provide training and support to those that can't afford computers. Teach them effective ways of communicating in their limited time. This will also increasing extend to cell phones and mobile devices, which may be many people's only computer in the future.
Student fees.
These come from my own experiences registering students for high school, and with the new background check policy at my daughter's school.
With reductions in state support many extra curricular activities cost a fee, debate, band, sports. Fiscal realities make it so people can get a very different education based on whether or not they can pay these fees.
Example 1: Base fees for high school are already getting into the hundreds of dollars, and in district 25, costs per extra curricular activity are $60-95 on top of the base fees.
Example 2: At the public charter school my daughter attends, that has an adventure program that includes overnight excursions, they recently enacted a policy that requires volunteers on overnight excursions to pay for a $50 background check. While I'm not arguing about the wisdom in this regarding protecting our children, accommodations need to be made to ensure that this doesn't affect school culture. An unintended side effect of this policy is that it creates a divide on who can participate based on economic status, even though the bar might be low, it is still there and sets a dangerous precedent.
There are some volunteers who live from paycheck to paycheck, and they really can't afford another $50, all they have to give is their time. While they can't still volunteer in other ways, at a much lower cost this may prevent them from attending on overnight excursions or feeling like their contribution is valued.
It is already increasingly difficult to get parents to volunteer as students get into the middle school grades, and if the school loses volunteers because of this additional barrier jeopardizing the ability to hold these activities due to lack of sufficient volunteers, there is a risk of destroying a key part of what makes it a great school.
Parent involvement is key to a child's education, and we should do what we can to ensure that there are equal opportunities for parents to volunteer.
How to address this...
Fundraising activities are already stretched thin. A foundation to support scholarships to those who can't afford to pay these fees, and provide obvious opportunities for the financially secure to pay extra to support these scholarship funds. Use e-communication to reach well connected financially secure parents, and let them know of opportunities to contribute.
Lobby legislators to support public education, vote for those who do.