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English Estates Elementary
Olympic Ceremony
with Gold Medalist
Rowdy Gaines
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Issue #2 SCPS Newsletter April 29, 2016
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From SCPS Superintendent - Dr. Walt Griffin
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Walt Griffin, Ed.D
Superintendent |
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The internet is an essential tool in today's modern economy for access to education, jobs, information, services, and other opportunities. Yet income remains a barrier to broadband access in the home and creates unequal opportunities for students to engage in digital learning beyond the school day. According to a report from the Pew Research Center, 5 million households with school-age children do not have high-speed internet service at home. Low-income households make up a disproportionate share of these households. It's not only an academic imperative to create more equitable access for these children, it's a moral imperative as well.
Fortunately, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is working to modernize the federal Lifeline program to include access to broadband for low-income families. Currently, Lifeline provides a discount on monthly telephone service to eligible low-income households, but it does not provide support for broadband access.
The experiences and resources that students have access to outside of school matter. Broadband access at home provides students with opportunities to complete school assignments at home, engage in course offerings that might not be provided at school, and explore college and career options. Students who lack this access are at a disadvantage.
In Seminole County Public Schools we prioritize and believe in the value of digital learning. We are leaders in the
Future Ready Schools
initiative, an effort to maximize digital learning opportunities and help school districts move quickly toward preparing students for success in college, a career, and citizenship. As we continue the learning transformation of students as receivers of a finite set of knowledge to students becoming passionate collectors and creators of knowledge using vast web-based sources, lack of internet access is inexcusable. Equitable internet access is critical to helping students discover their passions, and to co-facilitating learning with others, including teachers, content experts, and peers. Access to the internet 24/7/365 enables students to carve personal pathways in pursing their passion as learners, while discovering, collaborating, and solving meaningful authentic issues.
Seminole County Public Schools provides personal blended and digital ePathways (educational pathways) opportunities for all students to prepare them for their future.
District administration is working aggressively with county and state leaders to provide internet connectivity for students, which offers them the opportunity for continuing learning outside of school, furthering the district's goals for closing the achievement gap. Yet these efforts will only be fully realized when students have equitable access to the abundance of information and education tools outside of the classroom, and this begins with broadband access in the home. Simply put, learning should not end when the dismissal bell rings because a student cannot access the internet.
In Seminole County, I have witnessed students huddled on the sidewalk outside of one of our schools after hours in order to access our wireless service; this exemplifies the "homework gap" these students deal with every day. I have seen amazing examples of teachers creating digital experiences for their students, or implementing an engaging new digital tool, only to see a paper-based version supplied to students who cannot participate in the more modern activity because they do not have internet access at home. We can spend the next decade measuring the achievement gap or we can spend the next decade equalizing every child's access to knowledge, expert opinions, and the tools they need to solve the authentic problems they are passionate about resolving to create a better world for all.
Expanding broadband access to low-income families will improve learning across the nation for the students most in need. Modernizing the Lifeline program alone will not fix the digital divide for students, but it will be a great start to closing the gap.
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Summer Adventure Camp
FUN-O-LYMICS!
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SCPS
provides evaluation services & early intervention as early as age 3 at no cost
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Free, nutritious meals for kids 18 years of age & under during summer break
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The
Jaw Dropping thing
SCPS kindergartners can do!
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Meet some of the amazing people that help make SCPS an A+ School District
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PAID ADVERTISING
Click the banner for more information
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PAID ADVERTISING
Click the banner for more information |
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PAID ADVERTISING
Click the banner for more information
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SCPS School Board Members
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Tina Calderone, Ed.D.
Chairman
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Amy Lockhart
Vice Chair
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Karen Almond
Board Member
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Jeffrey Bauer
Board Member
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Dede Schaffner
Board Member
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Our Mission
The mission of the Seminole County Public Schools is to ensure that all students acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be productive citizens.
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 400 E. Lake Mary Blvd.
Sanford, FL 32773
407-320-0000
www.scps.us
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Seminole County Public Schools
Educational Equity - Notice of Nondiscrimination
The Educational Equity Administrator for Seminole County Public Schools has the responsibility of assuring compliance with the educational equity requirements by providing technical expertise, monitoring activities or programs related to compliance, and responding to equity complaints. One of the responsibilities is to administer the Educational Equity Complaint/Grievance Procedures as adopted by the School Board.
It is the policy of the School Board of Seminole County, Florida, that no employee, student, or applicant shall - on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, marital status, age, religion, or any other basis prohibited by law - be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination and harassment under any educational programs, activities, or in any employment conditions, policies, or practices conducted by the District. Additionally, the School board of Seminole County provides equal access to public school facilities for the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups as required by 34 C.F.R. 108.6.
Every employee, student, or applicant for employment at Seminole County Public Schools has a solemn right to be treated fairly, equally, equitably, and with dignity. If for any reason you - the employee, student, or applicant for employment - find that you have been victimized by acts of discrimination and or harassment, whether intentional or unintentional, you are strongly encouraged to file an Educational Equity Complaint or Grievance with the Educational Equity Administrator, or any county or school-level administrator. All such complaints must be immediately forwarded to the Educational Equity Administrator for dissemination, action, and resolution. Forward to: SCPS Educational Equity Administrator, Seminole County Public Schools, Educational Support Center, 400 E. Lake Mary Blvd., Sanford, FL 32773-7127. (407) 320-0198.
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© 2015 Seminole County Public Schools
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