"Education technology is very important because we have a massive challenge in public schools"
About this Quote
Education technology is cast here not as a luxury or a fad, but as a practical response to scale. Public schools face problems that are massive by any measure: overcrowded classrooms, persistent funding inequities, achievement gaps that track poverty and race, shortages of specialized staff, and compliance demands that eat into instructional time. Tools that personalize practice, translate content for multilingual learners, offer assistive supports to students with disabilities, and give teachers real-time insight into learning gaps can expand the reach of limited human and financial resources. Even mundane systems that streamline attendance, communication with families, and data reporting free educators to focus on teaching.
The line also carries an equity argument that fits the life and work of Major Owens, a Brooklyn congressman and former librarian who devoted his career to public education, libraries, and civil rights. He knew that zip codes too often determine access to rigorous curriculum and experienced teachers. Technology, thoughtfully deployed, can narrow that distance by bringing high-quality materials, virtual labs, and expert feedback to classrooms that lack them. For students who have been sidelined by disability, language barriers, or interrupted schooling, digital tools can be ramps into the mainstream of learning rather than gated detours. The point is not techno-utopianism; it is leverage for a system charged with educating every child.
The warning is implicit: importance does not guarantee impact. Infrastructure, teacher training, accessible design, and community buy-in are prerequisites, or technology will amplify the very inequities it is meant to solve. When vendors chase profit over pedagogy, or when screens supplant human relationships, the promise recedes. The statement pushes policymakers to match rhetoric with investment and to judge tools by whether they lighten the load on teachers and deepen student learning. The challenge is massive; the response must be both scaled and humane.
The line also carries an equity argument that fits the life and work of Major Owens, a Brooklyn congressman and former librarian who devoted his career to public education, libraries, and civil rights. He knew that zip codes too often determine access to rigorous curriculum and experienced teachers. Technology, thoughtfully deployed, can narrow that distance by bringing high-quality materials, virtual labs, and expert feedback to classrooms that lack them. For students who have been sidelined by disability, language barriers, or interrupted schooling, digital tools can be ramps into the mainstream of learning rather than gated detours. The point is not techno-utopianism; it is leverage for a system charged with educating every child.
The warning is implicit: importance does not guarantee impact. Infrastructure, teacher training, accessible design, and community buy-in are prerequisites, or technology will amplify the very inequities it is meant to solve. When vendors chase profit over pedagogy, or when screens supplant human relationships, the promise recedes. The statement pushes policymakers to match rhetoric with investment and to judge tools by whether they lighten the load on teachers and deepen student learning. The challenge is massive; the response must be both scaled and humane.
Quote Details
| Topic | Teaching |
|---|
More Quotes by Major
Add to List
