April 19, 1998

The latest statistics disclose that over 76% of the schools in the United States have Internet access. That's an increase from 70% only six months ago. Yet, many teachers haven't been trained on Internet safety or how to integrate the Internet into the curriculum. As more parents have had to work outside of the home, schools have had to make due with fewer parent volunteers.

This Internet initiative can't be accomplished without the help of parents and the cooperation of the parents with the schools.

It's also important that access be equitable. A recent study discovered that minorities were far less likely to have a computer in their home, even when the incomes are matched with non-minorities. The disparity is almost 100%. That's too great a disparity. The Internet is key to our children developing learning and job skills. Children who are disenfranchised from Internet access will find themselves disenfranchised from careers in the future. This is something that we, as a nation, can't afford.

As a member of the National Urban League's technology committee and of Children's Television Workshop's advisory board I am interested in how we can all work together for the good of all children, not just suburban children.

I'm also working with schools around the country on getting parents involved. I'm working with the Baltimore County School System, Maryland, in their Parents Internet Education project. I'm also working with Hackensack Schools in New Jersey. Both schools districts are very diverse and well-representative of all economic and ethnic groups. I'm looking for grants and corporate sponsorship to help fund a parent/student/teacher initiative to help integrate the Internet, meaningfully, into the classroom and into the families of these kids. I'd like to know what you are doing...and see if we can all work together to accomplish this goal.

Share some of your success stories with me...We're all in this together!