Supporting a Balanced Approach to Screens in Biddeford Schools

A campaign from Turn The Tide Coalition - Saco Alliance for Thoughtful Tech

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Recent supporters:
Nora Cochrane 21 days ago Jennifer Malon 21 days ago Maggie Bennett 21 days ago

Why This Matters

A convergence of research, legislative action, parent organizing, and international evidence has placed K–12 screen use at the center of a global conversation. While technology expands access and enables new forms of learning, a growing body of evidence is raising serious questions about how much is too much and whether the outcomes justify the tradeoffs.

In April 2026, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest in the U.S, unanimously passed a resolution to reduce and limit screen use in classrooms, reflecting a growing consensus that the current approach must change. Here in Biddeford, many parents feel blindsided by the amount of screen use in our schools and have expressed a desire for more transparency and clear, robust policies to manage this screen use. We ask for your support in bringing a better balance to classroom tech use in Biddeford Schools.

 
Dear Biddeford School Committee and District Leadership,

We are parents and community members who support technology's role in education — but believe the pendulum has swung too far. New and growing research from institutions like the American Academy of Pediatrics, MIT, Harvard, and UNESCO shows that excessive screen use is affecting children's focus, mental health, and academic development in ways that demand attention.

U.S. children already average 7.5 hours of daily screen time outside school, yet 88% of public schools issue devices to every child, including kindergartners. We aren't asking for technology to be removed — we're asking for a thoughtful, evidence-informed review of how it's being used, and a seat at the table as that conversation evolves.

We were encouraged by the landmark screen time resolution passed by LAUSD in April 2026, and we'd love for our district to join that conversation. Here in Biddeford, many parents feel blindsided by the amount of screen use in our schools and have expressed a desire for more transparency and clear, robust policies to manage this screen use. We ask for your support in bringing a better balance to classroom tech use in Biddeford Schools.

We have two requests for Biddeford Schools to implement for the 2026-2027 school year:

1. Transparency-driven requests
  • Publish a complete list of all approved tools with their intended use, including EdTech platforms, educational websites, AI tools, and firewalls. Ensure families can review privacy policies and opt in or out of specific programs — not just blanket consent forms — and guarantee offline alternatives are always available. Ensure full compliance with state and federal law.
  • Share details about content monitoring. For tools that flag potentially harmful content, please clarify: what terms and categories are monitored, how alert thresholds are defined, who reviews alerts and how often, how the district determines whether parents are notified, and what is and isn't monitored when a device is used at home. Commit to sharing regular audit data with families, including alert volume, actionable flags, and false positives.
  • Form a technology advisory committee of teachers, administrators, staff, parents, and outside experts to review current and proposed EdTech products, monitor emerging research and compliance requirements, ensure advance notice of new tools, and maintain ongoing dialogue with families — including opt-in/out and non-screen alternatives. This committee must rely on independent research regarding each product's efficacy, rather than studies provided by the companies themselves.
  • Deliver media literacy and digital wellness education at every grade level, including opportunities for parent education. Topics should include online safety, privacy, the impacts of social media, how excessive screen time affects mind and body, and how to build healthier habits. Not all screens are created equal, and students and families deserve to understand the difference.

2. Policy-driven requests
  • Develop an age-gated technology plan. Clearly define and share the district's approach to when, where, and how technology — including 1:1 devices, EdTech, and AI tools — should be used at each grade level. Provide guidance for teachers, students, and families on appropriate use, and include a regular evaluation process with results shared with families.
  • Create a formal Screen Time Policy with specific, enforceable, research-backed limits by grade level. The policy should prioritize screen use that offers genuine educational value that cannot be replicated offline, and prohibit screen time during passing periods, meals, recess, movement breaks, PE (gym), dismissal and free time. Noneducational movies/television programs must require parental consent. Screens must be turned off or blank when not being actively used for teaching, and advertisements must not play while watching educational videos. The policy should include a system for tracking and reporting screen time by application, grade level, and school — shared quarterly with the board and regularly with families. 
  • Transition away from 1:1 devices in early childhood and elementary school. Eliminate 1:1 device programs for K-5, and limit use in middle school to times when screens provide a unique and independently proven educational benefit. Devices can be distributed on carts or in a tech lab where educationally relevant rather than permanently assigned to students. Require a digital competency assessment and signed acknowledgment from both parents and students before any device is issued. Remove requirements to take devices home until high school. 
  • Block non-educational platforms on district devices. Restrict student access to YouTube, YouTube Shorts, social media, video streaming platforms, and non-instructional gaming (e.g., Roblox, Fortnite) during the school day.
  • Actively encourage print, physical textbooks, and paper-based homework for elementary and middle school students. Ensure all district-approved curricula includes sufficient physical texts for every student, and that analog learning is always a first-class option — not an afterthought.
  • Prioritize and protect recess through at least 8th grade. Research consistently shows that unstructured outdoor play supports physical health, social development, emotional regulation, and academic focus — and its benefits don't stop at elementary school. Treat recess as non-negotiable and resist any pressure to reduce it in favor of additional screen-based instruction.
  • Establish a clear, current AI strategy and policy. Developing brains are not appropriate test subjects during a steep learning period on the costs, benefits, and ethics of generative AI. Restrict AI tools to teacher instructional materials until the district can verify they've been vetted for safety, legality, and educational efficacy for minors. Clearly communicate to parents if AI is being used to assess student work.
  • Invest in professional development for teachers, administrators, and staff on both limiting and using screen time effectively, including training on emerging technologies like generative AI.
  • Publish a comprehensive technology handbook that consolidates all of the above in one accessible document — including screen time policy, grade-level device and app guidance, AI use and rationale, content monitoring practices, at-home expectations, and a list of all approved applications and websites for school and home use.

Please consider adding student screen/tech use to the school committee meeting agenda and hosting a tech forum/panel for both experts and community members to weigh in on the future of tech and screens in schools.

We believe these steps will help our district create a healthier, more balanced learning environment — and we look forward to working alongside you to make that happen. 

Recent Supporters

  • Nora Cochrane

    Parent

    21 days ago

  • Jennifer Malon

    Parent

    21 days ago

  • Maggie Bennett

    Parent

    21 days ago
5 supporters have signed this campaign

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