City Seeks to Bridge Digital Divide

You’re reading this article because you have a computer.

But did you know that thousands of people in Petaluma still don’t have regular access to the Internet, including many recent immigrants, people living in rural communities and the elderly and disabled?

Last month, the Petaluma City Council signed a resolution seeking to expand Internet access into poorer areas of Petaluma through the California Emerging Technology Fund. The fund is a statewide effort to expand broadband access over the next five years and close the so-called Digital Divide between those for whom the Internet is as basic as food and water and for those who are prevented from getting online due to cost, unavailable service or lack of familiarity with technology.

The news has been welcomed by Petaluma school officials, who say there is a need for improved and expanded broadband access and as well as other technology in the classroom.

"We could certainly use the help," said Robert Cmelak, superintendent of the . "The Internet has become an important aspect of learning. We are able to utilize this technology to prepare students for the annual standardized exams they must take."

The sentiment is echoed by Petaluma District Schools Technology Director Michael Cole.

"It would be wonderful if this happened," said Cole. “It could give students access to online work that they currently do not have."

The California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) was established as a nonprofit corporation under the California Public Utilities Commission in 2005. As part of the plan, CPUC demanded that AT&T and Verizon contribute $12 million to the fund every year for five years - a total of $60 million – in order to expand access to broadband and advanced services in California's poor and rural communities.

"We understand that without computers and computer literacy neither availability nor access will ensure use,” the California Public Utilities Commission said in their approval of the merger.

One way to bridge the digital divide is through public-private partnerships that develop community broadband access points, said Jane Escobedo, director of Educational Services for .

Escobedo noted that among all Petaluma schools, only had universal broadband access for its sixth graders. But she said the school district was working to providing broadband access to all of its schools, with a goal of having electronic textbooks for every school student within the next five years.

"This is how today's generation of children will learn and work in their lifetime,” Escobedo said. “If we cannot provide equal access to broadband and the Internet for every child, then those kids who do not have that access will be at a disadvantage.”

Escobedo cited the use of Interactive White Boards as an example of the advantages of the Internet when it comes to teaching. An interactive whiteboard is a digital version of traditional chalkboard and allows teachers to record their lessons and post the material for review by students at a later time.

The technology is especially vital for students who benefit from individual instruction, or need lessons presented to them more then once. It’s also handy for students who miss a class, since the lessons can be recorded for review by students. Kids can see the exact presentation that occurred in the classroom with the teacher's digital instructions.

"With this technology, students are able to learn at an individual pace, because teachers can communicate with the kids directly when they are home,” Escobedo said. “This technology allows a teacher to build a more in-depth curriculum which takes into account the special needs of each student.”

Despite the benefits of technology in the classroom, many Petaluma students come from families who can’t afford to buy a computer or pay for broadband at home.

"If it's a choice between food or rent, versus Internet service, a family will pay the rent,” Escobedo said. “But it can end up leaving these kids at a disadvantage in their schooling, since they do not have the ability to practice the sorts of skills they learn with repeated access to Internet technology.”

Supporting the fund will not result in any additional costs to the city and could even lower costs by creating more competition from providers of broadband, said Jason Davies, who chairs the Petaluma Technology Committee.

But with local school district facing a fresh round of cuts in the new year, schools will have to work harder to raise money for technology.

"These are hard times for schools. The money needed to maintain computer, telephone and broadband access could be as high as a million dollars per year,” said Cmelak, Waugh’s superintendent. “We are not anywhere near that amount at this time."