NEA speaks up for the rights of students. Browse recent messages to Congressional leadership, and add your voice.
The COVID-19 pandemic shone a spotlight on a specific aspect of the digital divide known as the homework gap—the inability to do schoolwork at home due to lack of internet access. A disproportionate share of the affected students are Black, Latino/a/x , from low-income households, or live in rural areas.
The American Rescue Plan provided more than $7 billion in emergency E-Rate funding to address the homework gap—the single largest one-time investment in the program’s history.
Before the pandemic, millions of students struggled because they couldn’t go online at home. When K-12 education moved online, they were shut out of virtual classrooms. Some did schoolwork outside fast-food restaurants or lingered late at night in community centers to get internet access.
For reasons of equity and economy, NEA has long advocated for closing the homework gap via the Federal Communication Commission’s E-Rate program. And we’ve succeeded!
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Include the SUCCESS Act (HR 4663) in the budget reconciliation package
Submitted on September 9, 2021
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Provide $7.6 billion to address the homework gap during the pandemic
Submitted on February 11, 2021
Bills in Congress
Learn NEA's position on pending legislation related to public education, and take action to protect our schools
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Support
HR 4663 SUCCESS Act www.congress.gov
Introduced on July 22, 2021
A bill to amend the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to provide additional funding for E-rate support for emergency educational connections and devices, and for other purposes.