Russo Asks a Good Question

Russo:

If you're going to do edtech, for example, why not do universal access?

The reason is that universal access challenges actually powerful interests (compared to, say, poor families and urban schoolteachers) and would make conservatives angry:

• You'd have to flood the country with low end tablets and netbooks purchased in bulk at a discount, wrecking part of the market (which would make a lot of ed-tech advocates sad because they wouldn't be getting the latest and shiniest).
• You'd have to give away a lot of high speed internet, screwing up not only the internet services market but also TV and phone service, since you more or less get those with the internet now.
• You'd drive conservatives insane by giving, for example, every single mother with three kids living on public assistance three free computers and high speed internet.

Every ed-tech advocate should have (like me) a 12 year old neighbor who for a few weeks at a time will come over once a day to make phone calls for herself and her family because they've not been able to keep up with their phone bills. It is a good reality check.