By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Part of the achievement gap in the days of COVID-19 is actually a technology gap, at least in Hutchinson USD 308.
"Approximately 30% of our families in USD 308 did not have internet connectivity," said Superintendent Mike Folks. "We worked to try to provide some hotspots in two or three of our buildings and other things before we deployed our Chromebooks. I know that has been a challenge for our parents, as well."
It's also important to note that not all teachers have the kind of connectivity at home that they would at school.
"We have some staff, for example, that may live off the Hutchinson grid," said spokesperson Ray Hemman. "We have staff that come in from all over the place. Some of them are having some challenges, which speaks to the wider challenge of internet in a lot of rural areas. It's not that much here in Hutchinson, but there are a lot of school districts, a lot of farm communities in western Kansas, that this is very difficult, it's a challenging situation."
Beyond connectivity, there's also an unfamiliarity for some parents and even some teachers with the software.
"We've set up a parent and student tech hotline that they can call to get assistance," Hemman said. "Parents, in many cases, aren't digital natives. Grandparents certainly aren't digital natives, so just the simple act of getting online and getting to the resources that they need to get to can be a challenge."
If you have tech questions, call Hemman at (620) 615-4029 so he can direct your question to the right person, as some questions will be for teachers, some for tech staff and some for him as spokesperson.