Petition for Intentional Technology Use in Richmond City Schools
A campaign from The Balance Project - Central Virginia Region
Sign This Campaign
224
Signatures
224 of 500 signatures
45% to goal
Every action matters
Recent supporters:
Parent signed
17 days ago
Parent signed
17 days ago
Parent signed
23 days ago
Why This Matters
The largest school districts in the country, led by the recent resolution passed by LA Unified School District, are starting to move on classroom screen time -- setting hard grade-level limits, blocking YouTube and gaming platforms on school devices, eliminating devices for the youngest students, and requiring weekly screen reports to parents.
This isn't happening because administrators woke up and decided to act. It's happening because parents organized, showed up, and made it impossible to ignore.
Your school board has the same authority right now. They do not need to wait for state guidance or federal standards. Dozens of districts have already acted. What they need to hear is that their own community is paying attention and expects them to lead.
This petition gives them exactly that signal. The letter is based on real resolutions that have already passed -- the same structure, the same core asks, adapted so any community can put it in front of their board. It takes about three minutes to set up and a few shares to gain momentum.
Your board gets a concrete ask from real families in their district. That's the whole mechanism. It works.
Dear Mr. Jason Kamras and School Board Members,
We are writing to urge Richmond Public Schools to take bold action on the growing crisis of excessive screen time in our schools.
Research from Common Sense Media found that teens spend an average of nearly nine hours per day using entertainment media outside of schoolwork, while tweens average about six hours. 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 -- pass a landmark resolution in early 2026 committing to a formal Screen Time Policy with specific, enforceable limits. LAUSD's leadership demonstrates that districts of any size can take meaningful action. We are asking RPS to follow their example.
Our Requests
We urge RPS to adopt a comprehensive screen time policy that includes the following:
1. Eliminate devices for the youngest students. 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. Set specific, enforceable screen time limits by grade level. 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.
3. Reduce 1:1 device programs in elementary school. Transition to shared laptop carts and computer labs for grades 3-5. Research on 1:1 device programs in elementary school has produced mixed results, while concerns continue to grow about excessive cumulative screen exposure for young children.
4. Block non-educational platforms on district devices. Prohibit student access to YouTube, social media, and non-instructional gaming platforms like Roblox during the school day. Teachers may retain the ability to use appropriate video content for instruction, but unrestricted or unsupervised student access creates unnecessary distractions and risks.
5. Ban device use during unstructured time. Prohibit device use during passing periods, lunch, and recess for elementary and middle school students. These moments of unstructured time are critical for social development and should not be dominated by screens.
6. Provide parents with transparency and meaningful opt-out rights. Share weekly reports on children's screen activity on district devices. Allow families to opt out of specific EdTech programs -- not just blanket consent forms -- and ensure alternative learning methods are always available.
7. Encourage paper, physical textbooks, and off-screen homework. Many studies have found stronger comprehension and retention with print materials, and research from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital has raised concerns about screen-based reading for young children and its association with weaker language and literacy outcomes. Policies should actively encourage analog alternatives, especially for homework at the elementary and middle school level.
8. 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.
A growing body of research and public concern points to the need for more intentional technology use in schools. LAUSD has shown it can be done. We respectfully urge RPS to act now to protect the health, development, and academic success of our children.
Sincerely,
The undersigned
Sincerely,
The undersigned
Recent Supporters
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17 days ago
Parent
Signed in Richmond, VA
-
17 days ago
Parent
Signed in Richmond, VA
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23 days ago
Parent
Signed in Richmond, VA
224 supporters have signed this campaign
Sign This Campaign
224
Signatures
224 of 500 signatures
45% to goal
Every action matters
Recent supporters:
Parent signed
17 days ago
Parent signed
17 days ago
Parent signed
23 days ago
Share This Campaign
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Community Impact
Families across 321 schools are joining this movement
224
Families Represented
32
Schools
PreK-12
Grade Range
| School | Grade | Count |
|---|---|---|
|
Mary Munford Elementary
41 total students
|
Grade PreK | 1 |
| Grade K | 7 | |
| Grade 1 | 9 | |
| Grade 2 | 6 | |
| Grade 3 | 4 | |
| Grade 4 | 4 | |
| Grade 5 | 2 | |
| Grade not listed | 8 | |
|
Linwood Holton Elementary
25 total students
|
Grade PreK | 1 |
| Grade K | 11 | |
| Grade 1 | 1 | |
| Grade 2 | 1 | |
| Grade 3 | 4 | |
| Grade 4 | 1 | |
| Grade 5 | 1 | |
| Grade not listed | 5 | |
|
Thomas H. Henderson Middle
5 total students
|
Grade 6 | 2 |
| Grade 7 | 1 | |
| Grade 8 | 1 | |
| Grade not listed | 1 | |
|
Chimborazo Elementary
4 total students
|
Grade PreK | 1 |
| Grade K | 1 | |
| Grade 1 | 1 | |
| Grade not listed | 1 | |
|
William Fox Elementary
7 total students
|
Grade K | 4 |
| Grade 5 | 1 | |
| Grade not listed | 2 | |
|
Albert Hill Middle
18 total students
|
Grade 6 | 6 |
| Grade 7 | 3 | |
| Grade 8 | 4 | |
| Grade not listed | 5 | |
|
Lois Harrison-Jones Elementary
27 total students
|
Grade K | 10 |
| Grade 1 | 9 | |
| Grade 3 | 3 | |
| Grade 4 | 1 | |
| Grade 5 | 3 | |
| Grade not listed | 1 | |
|
Swansboro Elementary
2 total students
|
Grade K | 1 |
| Grade not listed | 1 | |
|
Westover Hills Elementary
17 total students
|
Grade PreK | 1 |
| Grade K | 1 | |
| Grade 1 | 1 | |
| Grade 2 | 4 | |
| Grade 3 | 6 | |
| Grade not listed | 4 | |
|
J.B. Fisher Elementary
3 total students
|
Grade 1 | 1 |
| Grade not listed | 2 | |
|
Tuckahoe Elementary
1 total student
|
Grade not listed | 1 |
|
St. Catherine's School
1 total student
|
Grade not listed | 1 |
|
Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts and Technology
1 total student
|
Grade not listed | 1 |
|
Franklin Military Academy
7 total students
|
Grade 6 | 2 |
| Grade 7 | 1 | |
| Grade 8 | 1 | |
| Grade not listed | 3 | |
|
Maybeury Elementary
1 total student
|
Grade 2 | 1 |
|
Southampton Elementary
4 total students
|
Grade 3 | 2 |
| Grade not listed | 2 | |
|
Patrick Henry School Of Science And Arts
11 total students
|
Grade 1 | 3 |
| Grade 2 | 4 | |
| Grade 3 | 1 | |
| Grade not listed | 3 | |
|
Bellevue Elementary
2 total students
|
Grade 2 | 1 |
| Grade not listed | 1 | |
|
Overby-Sheppard Elementary
2 total students
|
Grade 3 | 1 |
| Grade not listed | 1 | |
|
Glen Allen High
1 total student
|
Grade 12 | 1 |
|
Dogwood Middle
1 total student
|
Grade not listed | 1 |
|
Maymont Pre-K Center
1 total student
|
Grade PreK | 1 |
|
Lucille M. Brown Middle
1 total student
|
Grade 7 | 1 |
|
J.H. Blackwell Elementary
1 total student
|
Grade not listed | 1 |
|
Martin Luther King Jr. Middle
1 total student
|
Grade not listed | 1 |
|
Pocahontas Middle
1 total student
|
Grade not listed | 1 |
|
Thomas C. Boushall Middle
1 total student
|
Grade 7 | 1 |
|
J.L. Francis Elementary
1 total student
|
Grade K | 1 |
|
Old Hundred Elementary
1 total student
|
Grade 4 | 1 |
|
Tomahawk Creek Middle
1 total student
|
Grade 6 | 1 |
|
Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies
1 total student
|
Grade 11 | 1 |
|
Central Montessori School of Virginia
1 total student
|
Grade K | 1 |
224 supporters have signed this campaign