OUSD Superintendent Dr. Johnson-Trammell shares importance of home internet for students.

On Thursday, Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell was part of a news conference with the city of Oakland, state and local leaders including Assembly Member Mia Bonta, Mayor Sheng Thao, and partner organizations such as Tech Exchange, the Oakland Public Education Fund, and Oakland Undivided.

They had gathered to celebrate major progress in the effort to get Internet access to all Oaklanders, including OUSD students. The initiatives include free high-speed WiFi for 2,000 residents in Oakland Housing Authority homes, a $15 million grant from the California Public Utilities Commission to help spread broadband internet across the city, and a $1 million Student Connectivity Fund that will ensure OUSD students continue to get computers and Internet access at home. That grant comes from the Ed Fund.

Dr. Johnson-Trammell spoke to the group about the importance of home Internet access for students. She also talked about the beginnings of the effort to get computers and internet access to all Oakland students at the start of the pandemic, and how the behind the scenes work that went into today's solutions can help solve many other issues related to equity.