California Department of Education Plans to Connect 1 Million Students This Fall

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced today that the California Department of Education (CDE) is collaborating closely with Apple and T-Mobile to connect up to 1 million students in need as most schools across California expect to begin the next school year in distance learning.

At a time when schools have experienced a shortage of available computing devices, the two companies are teaming up with the state to facilitate technological access that currently prevents hundreds of thousands of students from connecting with their teachers, peers, and school communities. Apple and T-Mobile will fulfill orders from districts—which could reach up to 1 million students—with discounted iPads already equipped with high-speed internet connectivity.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced an estimated 97 percent of California’s 6.2 million students to resume their school year in distance learning. Since April, the State Superintendent and his Closing the Digital Divide Task Force—in collaboration with the Governor’s Office, state lawmakers, and nonprofits such as the Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation—have been working to remove inequitable barriers to student access by working with internet service providers, tech companies, device manufacturers, and others to increase access to devices and internet connections.

“As schools are working around the clock to prepare students and families for virtual learning, I want to commend Apple and T-Mobile for stepping up in a monumental way to support California’s neediest students,” said Thurmond. “As Californians, we have a shared commitment to ensure every student has access to the basic tools needed to connect to their learning, succeed in today’s world, and pursue their dreams. This commitment provides schools across the state a unique chance to put devices in the hands of students now, while potentially making longer-term investments that can help us remove these inequities once and for all.”

iPad with cellular offers a powerful and portable solution for schools that will keep students engaged in learning from anywhere. Apple’s Professional Learning team is dedicated to supporting educators and will be providing weekly virtual training sessions for California teachers, offering creative strategies for learning remotely. Apple also offers one-to-one virtual coaching sessions and teachers can gain foundational technology skills through the Apple Teacher Learning Center, available at no cost. Since March, Apple has led more than 150 thousand educator coaching sessions worldwide.

“At Apple, we believe technology has the power to transform the learning experience for students at all levels,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Markets, Apps, and Services. “We are proud the State of California has chosen iPad to facilitate remote learning, and during these challenging times we look forward to working with administrators and school districts across the state to help make learning more accessible for their students.”

In response to the pandemic, T-Mobile has accelerated its efforts to help close the digital divide and enable families and schools to embrace remote learning, connecting hundreds of thousands of kids for virtual learning in over 300 school districts nationwide, even before this landmark collaboration with the State of California.

“Education is the great leveler in our society but only if everyone can access it. The pandemic has exposed just how widespread and detrimental the digital divide really is for millions of children in this country. At T-Mobile, we’re committed to doing something about it, and we’re incredibly proud to partner with Apple to help the State of California connect up to a million students when they need it most,” said Mike Katz, EVP of T-Mobile for Business.

CDE’s commitment to working with Apple and T-Mobile comes at the same time the Governor’s Office and lawmakers included $5.3 billion in one-time funding in the state budget for schools to strengthen distance learning heading into the same year. These funds can be used immediately for purchasing needed technology. Under the arrangement, T-Mobile will provide discounted service and Apple is offering special pricing for iPad + cellular, which has been available to schools on top of its education volume pricing, to enable all learners during this time.

The CDE will provide instructions to school districts to submit orders to Apple and T-Mobile. At least 100,000 devices can be ready to arrive through the back to school time frame, according to Apple and T-Mobile. The companies expect to be able to fulfill school district demand through the end of 2020.

School district leaders will have the opportunity to learn more about pricing options, ordering procedures, and timelines for deliveries during a special webinar of the Closing the Digital Divide Task Force at 11 a.m. today. The webinar will be broadcast live on CDE’s Facebook page and school district leadership teams can register on Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ojom6-BXS2idutF2RKC8Ug.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

Mike Dermont Diversified talks AV and healthcare experience
AV’s Critical Role in the Future of Healthcare Experience
July 15, 2025

As healthcare organizations face growing pressure to improve healthcare experience, patient outcomes, streamline operations, and address chronic staffing shortages, audiovisual (AV) technologies are becoming essential tools in delivering high-quality care. From in-room monitoring to patient communication systems, the AV industry is stepping up to meet the evolving demands of a sector that touches every life….

Read More
Applied Digital
Workforce, Housing, and Growth: How Applied Digital Is Revitalizing a Rural Town Through AI Infrastructure
July 15, 2025

As AI infrastructure spreads beyond tech hubs and into America’s heartland, companies face a new imperative: not just to build facilities—but to build trust, local partnerships, and long-term value for the communities that host them. In Ellendale, North Dakota, Applied Digital’s Polaris Forge 1 campus has become a case study in what rural revitalization…

Read More
Sepsis
Challenges of Identifying and Reducing Sepsis Mortality – Episode 2
July 15, 2025

Michael Rothman explores the complexities of sepsis identification and management, highlighting the challenges posed by varying definitions and clinical pathways. He discusses the ineffectiveness of current sepsis screening protocols, which often yield high false-positive rates and fail to reduce mortality meaningfully. The episode concludes by questioning the focus on sepsis-specific initiatives and suggesting that more…

Read More
engineering community
The Future of the Engineering Community: Equity, AI, and Real Connection
July 15, 2025

The Engineer Who Builds Communities, Not Just Systems! Angelie Vincent has spent more than two decades in aerospace engineering, but her real legacy might be the communities she’s built along the way. Now an AI Integration Engineer at Boeing, Angelie joins Professional Quotient host Jason Winningham for a wide-ranging conversation on neurodivergent leadership, workplace…

Read More