In this episode, we speak with activist Dirk Tillotson about how, due to a lack of internet access, low income students are being denied an education during COVID-19. You’ll hear how Comcast’s free internet service is not actually free, why a lack of internet access is an extreme barrier to academic success, and how activists and business leaders are stepping up to solve the problem. [spp-player url=http://traffic.libsyn.com/voices4ed/36_-_Education_Post_-_Free_Internet_Should_Be_Free.mp3] [spp-tweet tweet=u0022“These kids are being denied access to an education. We know this is happening. We know this is going to continue to happen until something is changed.” – Dirk Tillotsonu0022] u003ch1u003eEpisode Details:u003c/h1u003e u003culu003e u003cliu003eHow Comcast’s “free internet” is not actually freeu003c/liu003e u003cliu003eHow Comcast has responded to Dirk’s petitionu003c/liu003e u003cliu003eThe power of local education activismu003c/liu003e u003cliu003eThe lack of national leadership towards allowing students to continue to learn during COVID-19u003c/liu003e u003cliu003eHow business leaders are stepping up for studentsu003c/liu003e u003cliu003eWhether or not Comcast and other ISPs should continue to provide internet after COVID-19u003c/liu003e u003c/ulu003e u003ch1u003eLinks Mentioned:u003c/h1u003e u003culu003e u003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.change.org/p/federal-communications-commission-we-demand-free-internet-for-all-low-income-families-during-covid-19u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopener noreferreru0022u003ePETITION: We Demand Free Internet for ALL Low-Income Families During COVID-19u003c/au003eu003c/liu003e u003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://educationpost.org/millions-of-low-income-students-are-being-denied-access-to-internet/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopener noreferreru0022u003eMillions of Low-Income Students Are Being Denied Access to Internetu003c/au003eu003c/liu003e u003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://greatschoolvoices.org/2020/03/digital-apartheid-in-the-age-of-covid-making-the-right-to-online-access-for-all-students-a-reality/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopener noreferreru0022u003eDigital Apartheid in the Age of COVID, Making the Right to Online Access for ALL Students a Realityu003c/au003eu003c/liu003e u003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/dirktillotson/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopener noreferreru0022u003e@dirktillotsonu003c/au003eu003c/liu003e u003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://greatschoolvoices.orgu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopener noreferreru0022u003egreatschoolvoices.orgu003c/au003eu003c/liu003e u003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.facebook.com/greatschoolvoices/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopener noreferreru0022u003e@greatschoolvoicesu003c/au003eu003c/liu003e u003c/ulu003e [spp-tweet tweet=u0022“We often look at educational change as something that someone is going to think up somewhere at the top. The reality is that I think we need to listen to the folks at the bottom and how they’re experiencing things, respond to them and then push up to the top for the change.” – Dirk Tillotsonu0022]
Episode 36: Getting Free Internet to Families Who Need It Most (ft. Dirk Tillotson)
