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In reply to the discussion: All K-12 schools in Pennsylvania shut down for 2 weeks amid coronavirus outbreak [View all]BumRushDaShow
(128,738 posts)The state legislature is completely GOP-controlled (the governor is a Democrat) so that should give you a clue on what their mindset would be. We are one of the few if the only state left that has no "dedicated" funding formula for our schools so the digital divide here in PA is extreme and this situation has literally thrown every spotlight available on that issue. Nearly 1/2 of Philadelphia public school students have no internet service at home and/or no computer (most do have some sort of cell phone so that is how they manage to get on the internet).
And this is also why the state hasn't gone "full" stay at home - it's been a series of several counties at a time (although I do know that a whole bunch of counties here, although geographically "large", have 10,000 or fewer people in them, so they don't have the same amount of "social contact" that the urban and suburban areas have.
Agree that there should be a "national internet". Hell... the "original" internet (ARPANET) belonged to the federal government (military) and the government (through congressional legislation) eventually sold access to private entities for consumer use- to supplement the education, government, military initial use of it.