When K-12 public schools all across the US closed their doors at the start of the pandemic, the scale of the digital divide was abruptly unmasked. Many states and districts swiftly mobilized to address the needs of their digitally underserved students—purchasing devices, hot spots, and other resources—but an estimated 12 million students remained inadequately connected at the start of 2021. Black, Latinx, and Native American students and those from lower-income households were disproportionately affected, a fact that will undoubtedly inhibit the long-term success of these students as they look to their futures.

In this episode, we show how the global pandemic highlighted inequity in the classroom and is inspiring experts and lawmakers to focus on closing the digital divide in US education for good.