* Warning: This is an unofficial, introductory copy of the bill.
The official copy considered by the City Council is the first reader copy.
Introductory*
City of Baltimore
Council Bill R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Cohen
A Resolution Entitled
A Council Resolution concerning
title
Closing the Digital Divide During the COVID-19 Crisis
For the purpose of calling on the Baltimore City Government, the State of Maryland, and the Baltimore City Public School System to work together to make sure every student has access to technology to support online learning during the COVID-19 crisis and to support the short and long term employment needs of participants in Baltimore's YouthWorks program.
body
Recitals
Whereas, Technology and online learning tools are vitally important for the education and future employment of Baltimore’s children, yet access to technology is deeply inequitably distributed across lines of race and class;
Whereas, Baltimore trails behind many cities when it comes to the number of households with home internet connections, with the 2013 American Community Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau ranking Baltimore 261 out of 296 cities surveyed. National research indicates that lower-income and racial minority households are disproportionately disconnected from the internet;
Whereas, According to the U.S. Census, approximately 30% of households in Baltimore have no internet access. Low-income communities and communities of color in Baltimore, in particular, lack access to adequate hardware, such as desktops, laptops, ...
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