Petition for Intentional Technology Use in Boston Public Schools

Dear Boston School Committee,

We are writing to urge Boston Public Schools to take bold action on the growing crisis of excessive screen time in our schools and the well-documented potential harms that generative AI can cause to our children’s development and learning.

Children in the United States already spend many 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. These harms are amplified by the loss of what screen time often replaces: connection, socialization, skill building, critical thinking, and essential outdoor play and time in nature. This is not a future risk. It is happening to our children right 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. The New York City Public Schools have followed suit. Both districts’ leadership demonstrates that districts of any size can take meaningful action. We are asking BPS to follow their example.

We urge BPS and the Mayor's office 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. Children at this stage of development need hands-on, in-person learning experiences above all else.

2. Reduce 1:1 device programs in elementary schools. Transition to shared laptop carts and computer labs for grades 3-8. 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 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.

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 unsupervised student access has no place in the classroom. Additionally, all apps used for instruction or on school issued devices must be ad-free.

5. Disable student access to any 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.

6. Ban screens during unstructured time. Prohibit devices or videos during passing periods, lunch, recess and after school programming for elementary and middle school students. These moments of unstructured time are critical for social development and should not be dominated by screens.

7. Prohibit screen time from being used as a reward, incentive, or behavioral reinforcement.

8. Provide parents with transparency and meaningful opt-out rights. Create a mechanism for families to request information about their children's screen activity on district devices. Allow families to opt out of specific EdTech programs and ensure alternative learning methods are always available.

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

10. Evaluate all EdTech contracts for educational value and student data privacy. Require independent review of EdTech products as well as explicit parental consent for each app that collects data, per FTC guidelines on COPPA. Do not rely solely on vendor-supplied research. Ensure student data is protected and that contracts include accountability mechanisms. All EdTech products should meet independent standards for efficacy, and prove that any benefits outweigh potential risks.

The science is clear. The public consensus is growing. The Los Angeles Unified School District has shown it can be done. We respectfully urge BPS to act now to protect the health, development, and academic success of our children.

Sincerely, 
The undersigned