Petition for Intentional Technology Policy in Round Rock ISD

Dear RRISD Board of Trustees and District Administrators,

We are writing to urge Round Rock ISD to take bold action on the growing crisis of excessive screen time in our schools.

Children in America already spend an average of nine hours per day on screens outside of school. Rather than counterbalancing this trend, many districts have unintentionally compounded it through unchecked use of classroom devices, 1:1 device programs, and EdTech platforms with little accountability. The American Academy of Pediatrics has linked excessive screen time to vision problems, anxiety, depression, addictive behavior, reduced attention span, and lower academic achievement. This is not a future risk. It is happening to our children now.

We were encouraged to see Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the nation, adopt a landmark intentional technology policy for the 2026-2027 school year. LAUSD's leadership demonstrates that districts of any size can take meaningful action. We are asking Round Rock ISD to follow their example.

We urge Round Rock ISD to adopt a comprehensive technology policy that includes the following:

1. Eliminate device use in PreK-2nd grade.  Remove digital devices from early education through 2nd grade classrooms, except where required for mandated assessments. Children at this stage of development need hands-on, in-person learning experiences above all else.

2. Eliminate 1:1 device use in grades 3-5. Transition to shared laptop carts and computer labs 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. Set specific, enforceable screen time limits for grades 3-12. Establish clear daily and weekly maximums for student screen use on district devices, with less screen time for younger students. Screen time should be prioritized only when it provides educational value that cannot be replicated offline.

4. Block non-educational platforms on district devices. Prohibit student access to YouTube, social media, and non-instructional gaming platforms during the school day. Prohibit advertising and commercial content on district-issued devices. Teachers may retain the ability to use appropriate video content for instruction, but unsupervised student access has no place in the classroom.

5. Ban screen-based rewards. Prohibit screen time from being used as a reward, incentive, or behavioral reinforcement for students. Prohibit Gamified Learning Applications, including any software that relies on extrinsic game mechanics such as points, badges, levels, leaderboards, or virtual rewards for student engagement with academic content.

6. Ban device use during unstructured time. Prohibit device use during passing periods, lunch, and recess in accordance with Texas law. These moments of unstructured time are critical for social development and should not be dominated by screens.

7. Provide parents with transparency and meaningful opt-out rights. Provide transparency for parents and guardians on student time spent on devices and apps and websites accessed as well as teacher led screen-based instruction. Require explicit parental consent for each app that collects data, per FTC guidelines on COPPA. Create clear pathways for parents and students who wish to opt out of device-based instruction or specific EdTech services and applications, including Google Suite and those that use generative AI, without penalty or reprisal, and ensure low-tech alternative learning methods are always available. 

8. Encourage paper, physical textbooks, and off-screen homework. Research consistently shows better comprehension and retention with print materials. Policies should actively encourage analog alternatives, especially at the elementary and middle school level.

9. Evaluate all EdTech contracts for educational value and student data privacy. Require independent review of EdTech products. Do not rely solely on vendor-supplied research. Ensure student data is protected and that contracts include accountability mechanisms.

10. Pause use of generative AI. Disable student access to all generative AI tools, apps, websites, and software on all school-issued devices until this technology has been proven safe, legal, and effective, and until age-appropriate guidelines are established.  Ensure no student work is fed into LLMs (including for purposes of teacher grading) without explicit written consent from both the student and parent/guardian. 

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 RRISD to continue to provide a high-quality education for all students. At the same time, we believe that the current digital divide is no longer about which students have access to technology but about which students have access to authentic, hands-on learning opportunities free from digital distractions and corporate interests.

The science is clear. The public consensus is growing. LAUSD has shown it can be done. We respectfully urge Round Rock ISD leaders to act now to protect the health, development, and academic success of our children.

Sincerely, 
The undersigned