Kaylani Gomez, 4, works on her Waterford UPSTART computer, Friday, Dec. 27, 2019. The program is at no cost to parents and provides preparation and training for kids about to enter Kindergarten.
Friday, Jan. 8, 2021 | 2 a.m.
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As Nevada parents and educators know all too well, there have been plenty of setbacks and disappointments in remote learning since school districts across Nevada adopted it last spring.
But it was also the source of a significant accomplishment for Nevada: Thanks to the work of a public-private partnership, we became one of the first states to provide all students with internet access and devices to allow them to learn from home.
For that, credit goes to Connecting Kids Nevada, a coalition of school districts, community groups and the State Department of Education, which set out five months ago to fill gaps in the technological needs of K-12 students statewide.
The group, which was formed under Gov. Steve Sisolak’s COVID-19 Task Force, came together after schools announced in August that as many as 120,000 students might lack internet connectivity or adequate devices.
Efforts included:
• Collaborating with T-Mobile to provide Wi-Fi hotspots across the state. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford played a key role in that effort, negotiating with the telecommunications provider to establish the hotspots.
• Working with Cox Communications to spread the word about the company’s offer of free or low-cost Wi-Fi connectivity to low-income families. The coalition established a family support portal online and collaborated with a network of faith-based organizations, labor unions and community groups to raise awareness of the program.
• Providing students with Chromebooks or laptops, and replacing old equipment.
These efforts benefited students who had been forced to find Wi-Fi at restaurants, libraries, on school buses, etc. In some households, siblings were sharing devices using cellular service.
Those weren’t ideal solutions, to say the least. Remote learning presents challenges to begin with — not being able to study with a proper device in a student’s own home makes it much harder.
Connecting Kids Nevada did an admirable job in meeting those students’ needs.
Led by Elaine Wynn, the former president of the Nevada State Board of Education, and Jim Murren, the former MGM Resorts International chairman who now heads the COVID-19 Task Force, the group included such organizations as Communities in Schools of Nevada, the Public Education Foundation, R&R Partners, Nevada Gold Mines and the Clark County School District, which used federal coronavirus relief funding to offer internet subsidies to families.
Determined to reach every Nevada K-12 and charter school student to assess their needs, the campaign distributed 300,000 postcards, conducted canvassing door-to-door and at food distribution centers, and provided updates through print and electronic media.
Although education advocates contend there are still some students without connectivity and proper devices, there’s no question the group has made a significant difference.
The effort shows how much good can be accomplished when the private and public sectors band together with the best interests of our children in mind. And with the 2021 legislative session just around the bend, it’s a reminder of the importance of supporting students’ educational needs. This is going to be a tough year at the Legislature, given that the pandemic has blown a massive hole in the state budget, but we must give schools adequate funding.
Meanwhile, the work of Connecting Kids Nevada will continue.
Parents of students needing assistance can call the group’s Family Support Center at 888-616-2476.
