Too many Mississippi students lack dependable home access to internet

As a fifth-grade teacher in a high-poverty elementary school in Jackson, I see firsthand every day the difference that having access to a high-speed internet connection makes in my students’ learning.

When schools closed suddenly in the spring, our district didn’t have enough devices to send home, so we sent paper packets with students instead. I did my best to check in by phone every day with each student, but I was essentially teaching blindly because I had no way of knowing whether they were actually completing assignments and if they were struggling.

With all 16 of my students learning virtually this year, I am able to see their faces every day in our video chat and spend extra time with them when they need help. I can keep close tabs on them to ensure they are learning and thriving during this pandemic. 

But for nearly 300,000 children across Mississippi, many of whom are from low-income or rural homes, learning virtually is not an option because they do not have home internet service. These students, even if they are learning in person right now, are still unable to complete homework assignments from home because they do not have internet access. And if their school district suddenly has to shut down again because of COVID-19, these students will be cut off from their teachers and classmates.

At school, most students in Mississippi have access to the high-speed internet connection they need to support digital learning. But at home, 42% of Mississippi families do not have high-speed internet, and 17% do not have a computer or device, according to an analysis from the Alliance for Excellent Education and civil rights groups. We know that these disparities disproportionately impact students of color, students from low-income families, and those in rural communities in every state, including Mississippi.

I was thrilled to see that our state is committed to providing devices for every student. But even with a laptop or tablet in hand, students without home internet are missing important learning time and key connections with their classmates, and teachers are losing critical time with them where students could be brushing up on their reading and math skills. 

My students — all of whom come from low-income households — have figured out how to get internet access even if they don’t have it at home. Some sign in from a day care, where they have to go because their parents work. Others have had to travel to library parking lots to use the free WiFi or go to neighbors’ houses. And some of my students, even if they can join my class virtually, have such slow or spotty internet connections that I end up having to repeat myself a lot to ensure they hear me despite the glitches. My students deserve better, and it’s time for Congress to step up to help all students — no matter their zip code — with high-speed internet access.

Congress has spent trillions to help communities and businesses during this pandemic, but no federal money has so far directly targeted this glaring "homework gap" that impacts so many families in our state and beyond.

The House of Representatives passed legislation that would provide $12 billion to ensure all students have high-speed home internet and devices so students can continue learning during the pandemic.

Sen. Roger Wicker, as chairman of the Senate committee that oversees communications technology, has a powerful platform to advocate for students in our state and across the country. We ask Sen. Wicker to work with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the Senate to provide this much-needed money.

Educators are doing our best to serve students where they are right now, but there is so much more we could do if we had the resources to ensure every student is connected to the internet at home.

Our children are depending on us.

Triana Davis is a fifth-grade teacher at Dawson Elementary in Jackson.