How I Built Resilience: Jessie Woolley-Wilson of DreamBox

Access Disparities

Jessie Woolley-Wilson, CEO of DreamBox, highlights the disparities in access to online learning resources, emphasizing the need for intentional efforts to bridge these gaps. She notes that while 90% of children have access to broadband and devices, the remaining 10% still face significant barriers. Jessie stresses the importance of public-private partnerships and policy development to address these challenges, ensuring that every child, regardless of their zip code, has access to quality education 1.

We need to work with libraries, and we need to work with foundations, and we need to work with private public partnerships while we develop policies and funding mechanisms to close those remaining gaps.

--- Jessie Woolley-Wilson

The platform's shift from a consumer to an institutional approach aims to make DreamBox accessible to all students, not just those whose parents are aware of it 2.

   

School Reopening

The challenges of reopening schools safely during the pandemic are immense, according to Jessie. She points out the absence of a national strategy for frequent testing and tracing, which complicates the decision-making process for school districts. Essential conditions such as sanitizers, masks, and social distancing measures are necessary to ensure safety, yet many districts lack the confidence to reopen fully 3.

I feel right now we're in a pause, and I feel like the next window is really after January to see how we get through the fall and the winter.

--- Jessie Woolley-Wilson

Jessie anticipates that a more comprehensive reopening might only be feasible after effective treatments and vaccines are available.

   

Parental Role

Parental involvement in education has evolved significantly, with DreamBox adapting its strategies to support this shift. Jessie explains that while the company primarily targets school districts, they have maintained a consumer channel to engage parents directly. This approach includes offering free trials to parents overwhelmed by home-based learning, reinforcing the belief that parents are crucial partners in education 4.

We think parents are the x factor, and we think technology should never be designed to replace teachers.

--- Jessie Woolley-Wilson

With 40% of DreamBox employees being former educators, the company emphasizes technology's role in enhancing, not replacing, the educational experience.