Parent Choice in Philly Schools: A Clear Opt Out for 1:1 Devices

A campaign from Parents, Caregivers, and Community Members of the School District of Philadelphia

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Recent supporters:
Rachel Marks about 6 hours ago Leah Schinasi about 18 hours ago Katherine Baillie 5 days ago

Why This Matters

School districts everywhere are rushing to adopt digital learning tools without proper safety studies or limits, despite research showing screens fragment attention and impair the deep thinking skills our kids need to develop. As parents, we have the power to demand reasonable and responsible EdTech policies that require evidence of educational benefit, ensure age-appropriate implementation, and protect our children's ability to focus and learn. We trust & respect our teachers, and want the main form of connection to be educators not screens.

 
Dear School District of Philadelphia Board Members and District Leadership,
We, the undersigned parents, educators, and community members of the School District of Philadelphia, are signing this petition because we have deep and growing concerns about the widespread use of 1:1 school issued devices (Chromebooks) across K to 12 instruction in the School District of Philadelphia. We are asking the District to establish a clear, accessible, and non-punitive pathway for families who want to opt out of 1:1 school issued devices as a routine part of daily instruction. 
Why We Are Concerned
We recognize that digital literacy is an important skill, and that technology has a role in modern education. However, we believe that the current model — in which Chromebooks are the default medium for instruction and assessment across subjects and grade levels — has gone too far, and has done so without adequate evidence that it benefits our children.
We are deeply concerned about:
  • Screen time and children's health. Research continues to link excessive screen time to increased rates of anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, and difficulty with sustained attention — particularly in children and adolescents. The American Academy of Pediatrics and other health organizations have raised alarms about the cumulative effect of screen exposure across home and school environments. When devices are used heavily at school and at home, families lose meaningful ability to limit total daily screen exposure.
  • The impact on learning and development. Studies increasingly suggest that handwriting supports memory retention and conceptual learning in ways that typing does not. Reading on screens is associated with lower comprehension for many students compared to reading in print. There is growing concern among educators that device-heavy instruction may be undermining the foundational skills — reading, writing, focus, and critical thinking — that our children and teens need most.
  • Loss of parental authority over technology use. Many caregivers have made deliberate choices to limit our children's exposure to screens at home. The current 1:1 model effectively overrides those choices during the school day. We believe parents should have a meaningful say in how their children learn, especially when it comes to technology.
  • Data privacy. School-issued Chromebooks route through Google's ecosystem, including Gemini, Google's AI assistant, which is now integrated into many Chromebook environments. We have serious concerns about what data is being collected about our children, how it is stored, how long it is retained, and how it may be used — both now and in the future. 
  • Pause on Student Facing Generative AI.   Generative AI poses real, documented risks to the cognitive development of children and teens. These negative impacts on children & teens are well documented. They are the basis for recent legal actions against tech companies profiting from the public’s use while providing no guardrails to minors. Yet initiatives like SDP's Google.org-funded 'Pioneering AI in School Systems' (PASS) program are actively embedding these unvetted tools into Philadelphia classrooms. The long-term effects on learning, development, and data privacy remain largely unknown. 
  • Equity of access to non-digital learning. Not all students thrive with device-based instruction. Students with certain learning differences, sensory sensitivities, or attentional challenges are disproportionately affected by screen-heavy environments. Families who raise these concerns are too often told there is no alternative.
What We Are Asking For
Our Ask Is Modest and Reasonable. We are not asking the District to abandon technology. We are asking for choice. Families in many districts across the country have successfully implemented device opt-out policies that protect both digital and non-digital learners. Philadelphia's families deserve the same.
We are asking the School District of Philadelphia to:
  1. Create a formal, written opt-out process that allows families to request device-free or device-reduced instruction for their child, without academic penalty or administrative obstacle.

  2. Ensure that opting out does not disadvantage students — children whose families opt out should have full access to curriculum, coursework, and assessments through non-digital means.

  3. Provide transparency about screen time data: how many hours per day students are on devices, by grade level, and by subject.

  4. Engage families in a district-wide conversation about the appropriate role of technology in instruction, informed by current research, a committee made up of concerned parents & community members, and by the input of pediatric health experts.

  5. A Public Review of Education Technology contracts to ensure the public understands exactly how much of our school budget is committed to edTech. 

  6. A Healthy Screen Initiative for Teens to support parents & teens in rolling back screen use, a robust digital literacy curriculum, and clubs dedicated to education around healthy screen use.
We believe the School District of Philadelphia, and Philadelphia families want the same thing: children who are healthy, engaged, and prepared for the future. We urge the Board to take this petition seriously and recognize its urgency by responding with a concrete proposal for an opt-out pathway by May 31, 2026. We hope the School District of Philadelphia will demonstrate that Philadelphia families, not technology companies, are its most important partners.

Signed,

Recent Supporters

  • Rachel Marks

    Parent

    about 6 hours ago

  • Leah Schinasi

    Parent

    about 18 hours ago

  • Katherine Baillie

    Parent

    5 days ago
16 supporters have signed this campaign

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