Petition for Intentional Technology Use in Park Hill Schools

A campaign from Schools Beyond Screens - Schools Beyond Screens- Park Hill Kansas City

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Recent supporters:
Community Member signed 20 minutes ago
Parent signed about 5 hours ago
Parent signed about 6 hours ago

Why This Matters

Park Hill's Instructional Technology Task Force is deciding how screens will be used in our children's classrooms. It begins developing recommendations on November 10th, refines them on December 8th, and presents final recommendations to the Board of Education in January 2027.

The district has said community input is essential to this process and that evidence-based research will guide every decision. Families have already given survey feedback. This petition goes further. It asks the district to commit to specific, research-backed policies, with real limits and real transparency, so the new guidelines change how digital products are used in our classrooms.

Sign by December 8th so the Task Force hears from Park Hill families before it writes its final recommendations.

 


Dear Park Hill Board of Education Members and District Leadership,
We call on the Park Hill School District to take bold action to change screen time and digital product policies in our schools.
Park Hill has invested heavily in 1:1 devices and educational technology (EdTech), but families have little visibility into what those products cost or whether they improve learning. Research consistently shows that excessive screen time fragments attention, impairs deep thinking and harms student mental health. Studies find stronger comprehension and retention when students read physical books, write on paper and learn directly from their teachers. Internet-connected devices also too often turn teachers from educators into monitors of online behavior, and they expose students to inappropriate content, advertising and the collection of their personal data by private companies.
Districts across the country are responding to the evidence with clear guardrails on digital products. We call on PHSD to commit to the following policies for the 2027–2028 school year and beyond.

Our Requests:
1. Eliminate device use in K–2nd grade. Remove digital devices from K through 2nd grade classrooms, except where required for mandated assessments. Children at this stage of development need hands-on, in-person learning above all else. In U.S. K–3 classrooms, more frequent EdTech use was associated with lower subsequent achievement and wider gaps between lower- and higher-achieving students (Ahn, 2022).
2. Eliminate the 1:1 device model in grades 3–5. Transition to shared laptop carts for grades 3–5. Permanent 1:1 device assignment for young children is not supported by research and contributes to excessive cumulative screen exposure.
3. Block non-educational platforms and advertising on district devices. Block student access to YouTube and other entertainment or non-instructional websites and apps on district networks and devices. Prohibit advertising and commercial content on district-issued devices, and require instructional apps to be ad-free with no in-app purchases. Teachers may still use appropriate video content for instruction, but unsupervised student access has no place in the classroom.
4. Eliminate screens as rewards and free-time activities. Prohibit screen time from being used as a reward, incentive or behavioral reinforcement, or as a free-time activity. Free time should go to reading, hands-on activities and connecting with classmates. Respondents to our parent survey strongly support limiting device use as a reward or free-time activity (Schools Beyond Screens Park Hill Parent Survey, 2026).
5. Give parents transparency and meaningful opt-out rights.
  • Provide parents with automated weekly reports of their child’s school-device activity, including total technology use and time spent on individual apps and websites. 91.5% of respondents to our parent survey support access to these reports.
  • Require explicit parental consent for each app that collects student data, rather than the district consenting on parents’ behalf.
  • Create clear pathways for parents and students who wish to opt out of device-based instruction or specific EdTech services and applications, without penalty or reprisal, and ensure low-tech alternatives are always available.
6. Default to paper, physical textbooks and off-screen homework. Research shows better comprehension and retention with print materials. Make paper and print the default, especially in elementary and middle school.
7. Support teachers and reallocate 1:1 funds. Develop a plan to reallocate funds from unnecessary digital tools toward updated analog resources, teacher salaries, reduced class sizes and other direct investments in student learning. Provide educators with dedicated training, planning time and physical manipulatives to support less screen-dependent classrooms.
8. Audit EdTech contracts and spending. Evaluate all EdTech contracts for educational value, return on investment and student data privacy. Require independent review of EdTech products rather than relying solely on vendor-supplied research. Ensure student data is protected and that contracts include accountability mechanisms. Publish a public audit of district spending on educational technology over the past five school years. 88% of respondents to our parent survey support using independent research in addition to vendor information, and 88% support formal review of the district’s most-used educational software (Schools Beyond Screens Park Hill Parent Survey, 2026).

As parents, we have seen firsthand how screens affect our children’s ability to focus, connect with their peers and engage in meaningful learning. We are deeply invested in public schools and want PHSD to continue providing a high-quality education for all students. At the same time, we believe today’s digital divide is no longer about which students have access to technology. It is about which students have access to authentic, hands-on learning, free from digital distractions and corporate interests.
The science is clear. The public consensus is growing. Los Angeles Unified, the nation’s second-largest district, voted unanimously to limit screen time at every grade level. We urge Park Hill School District leaders to implement these policies to protect the health, development and academic success of our children.
Sincerely,
 The undersigned Park Hill families, educators and community members

Recent Supporters

  • Community Member

    Signed in Kansas City, MO

    20 minutes ago

  • Parent

    Signed in Kansas City, MO

    about 5 hours ago

  • Parent

    Signed in Kansas City, MO

    about 6 hours ago
105 supporters have signed this campaign

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