[CASL-L] Fwd: FW: GOVERNOR LAMONT ANNOUNCES THE EVERYBODY LEARNS INITIATIVE: A $43.5 MILLION PROGRAM TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE FOR CONNECTICUT STUDENTS

[CASL President]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Casey, Doug <Doug.Casey at ct.gov>
Date: Tue, Jul 28, 2020, 5:35 PM
Subject: FW: GOVERNOR LAMONT ANNOUNCES THE EVERYBODY LEARNS INITIATIVE: A
$43.5 MILLION PROGRAM TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE FOR CONNECTICUT STUDENTS
To: <CET_K-12_EDTECH at list.ct.gov>


Good afternoon,

Please see the announcement below, great news that serves as the
culmination of months of R&D into how best to close the digital divide.

As I mentioned in the press conference <https://youtu.be/SuLU3w3ehX0?t=1800>,
districts will soon receive by email a request form from the State
Department of Education requesting details on student connectivity and
device needs. That email will also include signup information for a meeting
at 1:00 PM this Thursday for Ajit and I to provide an overview of the
program and answer your questions.



This is good news for our students, teachers, and leaders like you who have
already shown your dedication to addressing the digital divide.



Talk soon,



Doug





*From:* list <OTG_Dailies at LIST.CT.GOV> *On Behalf Of *Bednarz, David
*Sent:* Tuesday, July 28, 2020 3:03 PM
*To:* OTG_Dailies at LIST.CT.GOV
*Subject:* GOVERNOR LAMONT ANNOUNCES THE EVERYBODY LEARNS INITIATIVE: A
$43.5 MILLION PROGRAM TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE FOR CONNECTICUT STUDENTS



[image: Header Image: Office of Governor Ned Lamont]
<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fct.gov%2Fgovernor&data=01%7C01%7CDoug.Casey%40ct.gov%7C7be45c0779514f8b724708d83328ed79%7C118b7cfaa3dd48b9b02631ff69bb738b%7C0&sdata=p6T1t6WliHDUNydtQmxFIPGRKSLzuSEGdMOlulzqHnA%3D&reserved=0>

*GOVERNOR LAMONT ANNOUNCES THE EVERYBODY LEARNS INITIATIVE: A $43.5 MILLION
PROGRAM TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE FOR CONNECTICUT STUDENTS*

*Investments Include Purchase of 50,000 Laptops, At-Home Internet Access
for 60,000 Students, Creation of 200 Public Hotspots*



(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont announced today that his
administration is launching the *Everybody Learns *initiative: a $43.5
million investment in remote learning solutions to close the digital divide
in Connecticut and empower students across the state to learn from home,
especially as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues impacting the
country. The governor said that the funding – which comes from the state’s
portion of the federal CARES Act, the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief
Fund, and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund – will
be used to purchase 50,000 laptops for students, 12 months of access to
at-home internet for 60,000 students, create public hotspots free to the
public at 200 community sites across the state, and offer social emotional
learning content to school districts statewide.



“There are few responsibilities more important to me as Governor than
ensuring all students in Connecticut receive a high-quality, world-class
education,” *Governor Lamont said*. “In 2020, it is paramount that every
Connecticut student has access to high-speed internet, quality digital
learning content, and a reliable and effective learning device. Too often,
students of color and those in low-income communities are
disproportionately disadvantaged by not having access to the learning
technologies they need. Today I am taking measures to close this
inequitable digital divide and ensure all of our students are set up for
success with remote learning.”



The number of students identified as in need of access to laptops and
at-home internet is based on survey information that was submitted to the
State Department of Education and Connecticut Commission for Educational
Technology. The state will purchase the at-home internet access through
several broadband internet companies, including Altice USA/Optimum,
Atlantic Broadband, Comcast, Cox, and Charter. The personal hotspots will
be covered by cellular signal through the student hotspot provider Kajeet.



The Office of the Governor, State Department of Education, Department of
Administrative Services, Office of Policy and Management, and the
Connecticut Commission for Educational Technology will coordinate with
internet companies and school districts to ensure students receive the
learning devices as quickly as possible, and the form of internet coverage
that meets their needs and empowers them to participate in high-quality
remote learning. Likewise, internet providers have agreed to work closely
with the administration and school IT directors to support households that
have students who will be learning this fall.



“In order to support remote learning needs for our learners, we need to
make sure they are connected,” *Connecticut Education Commissioner Miguel
Cardona said*. “Addressing the digital divide has become our priority since
a device and connection are no longer luxuries. Once connected, they must
also have access to high quality content to promote learning and social
emotional development. Under the leadership of Governor Lamont, our
commitment remains focused on amplifying social emotional supports for
students and educators, and advancing equitable access to high-quality,
high-impact, student-centered remote learning anytime, anywhere.”



The State Department of Education has made social and emotional well-being
and mental health supports a priority given its relationship to improving
conditions for learning and ultimately improving students’ school and life
outcomes. During the long period of class cancellation, the need for
quality social emotional and mental health supports for students and
educators has been intensified by pandemic related trauma, anxiety, and
distance from the relationships formed at school. Putting a strong program
of social and emotional learning (SEL) and mental health supports in place
can ease the transition and mitigate issues that may otherwise occur. The
department will devote CARES Act funding to supplement the development of a
statewide SEL framework that will support educator professional learning
and implementation of evidenced-based programs. In addition, the department
will:



   - Provide professional learning through RESCs and SERC to support
   educators in providing social and emotional supports;
   - Provide resources to districts for delivery of general behavioral and
   mental health screening; and
   - Promote implementation of universal SEL curriculum/programming at the
   district level and secure resources for outreach or professional learning
   on Equity, Implicit Bias and Inclusion.



“Educational equity in the 21st century means that all students, no matter
zip code or race, have access to technology resources that allow them to
learn from home, on the go, and in the classroom,” *Doug Casey, executive
director of the Connecticut Commission for Educational Technology said*.
“Today’s investments take a significant step forward in closing the digital
divide for learners of all ages across our state.”



The 200 hotspots will be open to the public at no cost to the user. The
state will partner with the Connecticut Education Network (CEN) to utilize
the fiber and infrastructure it already provides to sites in communities
across the state and boost signals for the public at large to be able to
access for free.



“CEN is thrilled to be working with the state to do what we do best,
leverage our unique and high-quality fiber network to help Connecticut
residents access reliable and fast internet coverage” *Ryan Kocsondy,
director of the Connecticut Education Network, said*.



“At the start of the COVID-19 crisis, a huge focus for Altice USA and
Optimum was ensuring that all students had access to broadband connectivity
to enable them to continue their studies through the end of the school
year,” *Lee Schroeder, Altice USA executive vice president for government
and community affairs, said*. “We are proud to be working with Governor
Lamont and the State of Connecticut to ensure continued connectivity for
students as we head into the 2020-21 school year, and we applaud
Connecticut’s approach to bring together schools, government and broadband
providers to help solve the digital divide together.”



“We are honored to partner with Governor Lamont to support families as we
all prepare for the back to school season,” *Dennis Mathew, senior vice
president for Comcast’s Western New England region, said*. “As Connecticut
continues to manage the COVID-19 emergency, we recognize that Internet
Essentials from Comcast plays an important role in helping residents stay
connected and we appreciate the commitment of Governor Lamont and his team,
especially during this unprecedented time.”



“We are committed to bringing reliable, high-performance broadband internet
to homes that need it most, as work-from-home and online learning has
become necessary in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,” *Juan Dominguez,
vice president of sales for Atlantic Broadband, said*. “We are pleased to
help make this initiative possible, and will work closely with state
officials and our local school districts to ensure that serviceable
households with students currently lacking connectivity will have great
internet backed with local customer care and professional technical
support.”



Districts will begin receiving communication from the state today about the
process by which they will receive their laptops, broadband vouchers or
Kajeet hotspots. Community sites will soon receive communication from CEN
about hotspots.



###



For Immediate Release: July 28, 2020
Contact: Connecticut Joint Information Center

COVID19.JIC at ct.gov

860-754-8342

*www.ct.gov/governor* <http://www.ct.gov/governor>
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