Technology in Education: How Racism Affects the Technology in New York City Classrooms

By: Jeannie and Abhinav

Low-income communities in New York City are, by and far, dominated by minority groups, specifically Hispanic and black communities. Racism, intertwined with their class status, creates heavy discrimination towards them in terms of school funding, heavily affecting their future success. In specific, these communities lack accessibility to technology in the classroom due to the discriminatory lack of funding.

Before COVID

Even before the pandemic, the problems regarding minority children’s education and technological integration were widespread and systematic. Access to technology in classrooms has always been spotty because, across socio-demographic categories, it depends on availability based on individual schools, communities, and households (Du & Anderson, 2003). Often, school districts simply did not — in fact, still do not — have the resources to upgrade the technology they offer to their students (Du & Anderson, 2003). Minorities disproportionately make up New York’s low-income communities, so they are disproportionately affected by the inadequate funding and technology school districts have; black and Hispanic groups are less likely to have Internet access than Caucasians or Pacific Islanders (Du & Anderson, 2003).

In specific for low-income demographics, technology is highly inaccessible. Their communities face systemic barriers in offering quality and modern education systems, including “the cumulative effects of generations of underinvestment in families, communities, educational institutions, workforce development programs, and entrepreneurs of color” (Dvorkin, 2020). New York State’s financing practices also benefit wealthier school districts disproportionately at the expense of poorer school district funding (Nickerson & Deenihan, 2003). As a result, lower-income communities’ public schools have inferior technology and fewer, worse opportunities for their students (Nickerson & Deenihan, 2003).

Research has shown that access to broadband services and electronics — like computers — is “a strong predictor of academic success in mathematics and science, as well as higher test scores in reading, even after controlling for income and other factors” (Kim & Padilla, 2020). Even when families had smartphones and Internet access, “parents and children indicated that accessing and completing school-related work on smartphones was virtually impossible, as many of the children’s academic assignments involve extended work (i.e., English essays or coding assignments) that necessitated access to computers or tablets” (Kim & Padilla, 2020). Obviously, their performance in school is severely inhibited by their technological exclusion. Even when they have computers and Internet access, disadvantaged students are “less likely more likely to attend less challenging computer-related courses. Those students are more likely to be taught general computer literacy than how to use computers to enhance learning in key subject areas” (Du & Anderson, 2003). These students therefore receive worse opportunities in comparison to students who have been taught more advanced computer skills (Du & Anderson, 2003). For students of color in low-income communities, the future is grimmer as a direct result of their socioeconomic status.

These students find themselves disadvantaged in college and the workplace, where technological literacy is essential to success (Kim & Padilla, 2020). As a result of increasingly frequent changes in technology, “new graduates are expected to have an aptitude for learning and applying discipline- specific technologies at work” (Reddy, et al., 2020). A report by Center for an Urban Future notes that New York’s inadequate technological integration into education has led to a “troubling opportunity gap that exists in the city’s tech workforce [that] is exacerbating inequalities across the five boroughs” (Dvorkin, 2020).

These obstacles contribute to the low level of employees of color in corporate America. Although the black demographic makes up about thirteen percent of the American population, only eight percent of corporate employees in America are black (Roepe, 2021). Furthermore, only four percent of all executive positions were held by Latinos, a startling contrast to the nearly fifty percent of consumer spending that they account for (Guadalupe, 2015). The exclusion of minorities from corporate America stems in many cases from their inadequate education, and in particular the lack of technology in their classrooms.

During the Pandemic

In the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic, many low income students had to pivot to online learning. This transition was especially difficult for those who had limited access to technology.

The students that were already disadvantaged due to the lack of technology had it worse now with the digital learning pivot. Additionally, many individuals had lost their jobs. According to Anna Johnson from Georgetown University “since the pandemic hit, nearly 50% of responding parents in a new study of low-income families said they had lost their jobs or had decreased work hours and experienced food insecurity”. This illustrates how low income families are hit hard when it comes to the Pandemic. This statistic then correlates with student education.

With students forced to study at home due to COVID-19, student education has suffered. Many students end up not willing to participate in online classes as it is not engaging enough or simply the fact that the students are not able to attend class because of the lack of resources. According to Georgetown University, only 29% of teachers reported that nearly all their students participated in online learning activities. This suggests that many students are not getting the education that they were receiving from in person instruction.

In addition to the struggles that low income families face on a daily basis financially, these families now have to focus on their children’s education as well. With the students all at home, the parents are more responsible for their childrens’ education. Moreover, the learning atmosphere for the students of low income families may be detrimental to the students’ learning as well. With many of these students wondering about where their next meal is coming from, they are not able to focus on their school work. Without in person instruction, these students are not able to receive emotional support from friends and teachers that they would normally receive.

The students that were hit the hardest in terms of education, however, were the children with special needs. Opportunities for these children shrank as it is difficult for parents to help their children learn during this remote instruction phase. They are not able to receive the hands on experience and attention that they require to succeed in school.

Moreover, teachers are also having difficulties with their everyday tasks. Teachers must prepare their normal classroom activities but also they must spend additional time to plan for remote learning. Teachers also are having trouble finding ways to connect with individual students, thus requiring more effort and time from teachers.

Throughout this Pandemic, students have been troubled with the transition to this new digital platform. With many families and individuals still adjusting, there will be many changes to the educational system.

Effects of the Pandemic

COVID-19 has only exacerbated these issues. TIME magazine recently published a news story highlighting a specific school district in which some children were given laptops by the school because they did not have any at home — but the school district ran out (Reilly, 2020). Instead, the rest of the students were given paper learning packets (Reilly, 2020). This stands as a reflection of the way coronavirus has impacted New York students.

The pandemic has “worsen[ed] the disadvantages already facing low-income students” (Reilly, 2020). Students that may have learned about technology in their schools now do not even have that option; they cannot even attend class online if they do not have computers or Internet access at home. Now, “[s]tudents in high-needs districts [are] significantly more likely to not complete their [class] work” (Catalano, Torff, & Anderson, 2021). Whereas in the past they could sit in-person and attend class, in many cases New York teachers have reported that a major barrier to students completing work was that students had “limited access (or no access) to a computer or device and/or the Internet” (Catalano, Torff, & Anderson, 2021).

In richer schools, school districts can afford to provide each student with a laptop — a widespread solution that in past research has shown improvements in educational achievement in the student body (Bebell & Kay, 2010). However, less affluent school districts do not have the resources or funding for this (Catalano, Torff, & Anderson, 2021). Cumulatively, the pandemic’s effect is that of an “engine of inequity for less affluent students” (Catalano, Torff, & Anderson, 2021). This may cause long-term effects, as falling academic achievements and limited access to schooling may affect college admissions and fundamental education.

Because lower-income students tend to be people of color — especially black and Hispanic demographics — they are disproportionately affected, and suffer more from these adverse effects. This creates inequality between races, with black families being “more economically insecure and with far fewer opportunities for economic mobility” as compared to white families (Hanks, Solomon, & Weller, 2018). The wealth inequality is at least partially contributed to by the lack of access to technology because of inadequate school funding. This has only been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Children in low-income, predominantly brown and black neighborhoods today, are being negatively affected by the failure of the system to provide them with adequate technology. They can’t learn technological literacy, and are unable to integrate technology into their future employment. Affecting issues beyond their education, these students are being punished for their race unduly and unjustly.

Works Cited

Angela Hanks, D. S. (2018, February 21). Systematic Inequality. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/reports/2018/02/21/447051/systematic-inequality/.

Bebell, D., & Kay, R. (2010). One to One Computing: A Summary of the Quantitative Results from the Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative. The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 9(2).

Catalano, A. J., Torff, B., & Anderson, K. S. (2021). Transitioning to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: differences in access and participation among students in disadvantaged school districts. The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, 38(2), 258–270. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijilt-06-2020-0111

Johnson, Anna. “COVID-19 Has Harmful Effects on Children in Low-Income Families, Researchers Find.” Georgetown University, 1 Sept. 2020, www.georgetown.edu/news/covid-19-has-harmful-effects-on-children-in-low-income-families-researchers-find/.

Roepe, L. R. (2021, February 6). Barriers for Black Professionals. SHRM. https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/all-things-work/pages/racism-corporate-america.aspx.

Solomon, L. D. (2003). Edison schools and the privatization of k-12 public education: legal and policy analysis. Fordham Urban Law Review, 30(4), 1281–1340.