Petition for Intentional Technology Use in Virginia Schools

A campaign from Virginia Coalition for Intentional Tech

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Recent supporters:
Parent signed 13 days ago
Parent signed 14 days ago
Parent signed 15 days ago

Why This Matters

Virginia already limits student phones from bell to bell. There's still no statewide standard for the laptops and tablets schools hand out, so how much screen time your child gets at school depends on where you live. Families in 10 Virginia school divisions have already asked their local school boards for the 8 changes below, and more than 4,000 people have signed. Now we're asking the state to set one standard for every Virginia student. When you sign, your own delegate and state senator will see how many people in their district agree.

 
Dear Members of the Virginia Board of Education and Members of the Virginia General Assembly,
We are Virginia parents, educators, grandparents, and community members, and we are writing to urge you to take statewide 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 schools 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.
Virginia has already acted on the phones students bring from home, with bell-to-bell restrictions in every school division. There is still no statewide standard for the devices schools hand out. Some divisions are already moving on their own. Right now, though, how much time a Virginia child spends on a school device depends on where they live. Utah, Iowa, and Tennessee all passed classroom technology laws in 2026, and Los Angeles Unified committed to enforceable limits. Virginia can do this too.
We are not anti-technology. We are pro-childhood and pro-learning. Technology has a place in Virginia classrooms when it serves a clear learning goal, fits a child's age, and does something a teacher, a book, or hands-on work can't.
Our requests
We ask the Board of Education to develop a statewide model policy on the intentional use of instructional technology. We ask the General Assembly to require every school division to adopt a policy that includes the following:
  1. Eliminate devices for the youngest students. Remove digital devices from preschool through 2nd grade classrooms, except where required for mandated assessments or a student's IEP or 504 plan. 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 school-issued 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. Permanent 1:1 device assignment for young children is not supported by research and contributes to excessive cumulative screen exposure.
  4. Block non-educational platforms on school-issued 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 unsupervised student access has no place in the classroom.
  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 school-issued devices. Allow families to opt out of specific EdTech programs, not just sign blanket consent forms, and ensure alternative learning methods are always available.
  7. 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 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.
We also ask:
  • That VDOE create a classroom technology task force. It should meet regularly and include parents, along with teachers, administrators, and school technology staff, to guide the statewide model policy and check how it's working in schools.
  • That every school board form a classroom technology advisory committee. We encourage each local school board to set up an advisory committee that includes parents, so families have a regular way to weigh in on the devices and programs their children use.
The science is clear, and families across Virginia are asking for the same thing. We respectfully urge the Board of Education and the General Assembly to act now to protect the health, development, and academic success of every Virginia student.
Sincerely, The undersigned

Recent Supporters

  • Parent

    Signed in Richmond, VA

    13 days ago

  • Parent

    Signed in Richmond, VA

    14 days ago

  • Parent

    Signed in Richmond, VA

    15 days ago
3 supporters have signed this campaign

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