Petition for Reasonable EdTech limits in LAUSD Schools
A campaign from Schools Beyond Screens - Redondo Beach Beyond Screens Parents
Sign This Campaign
7
Signatures
Together, we're changing what's normal
Recent supporters:
Parent signed
22 days ago
Parent signed
about 1 month ago
Parent signed
2 months ago
Why This Matters
School districts everywhere are rushing to adopt digital learning tools without proper safety studies or limits, despite research showing screens fragment attention and impair the deep thinking skills our kids need to develop. As parents, we have the power to demand reasonable and responsible EdTech policies that require evidence of educational benefit, ensure age-appropriate implementation, and protect our children's ability to focus and learn.
Dear [Insert Superintendent or Principle Name],
We are writing to express our deepest concern regarding the overreliance of our public schools on screen-based learning.
Our children are already spending an enormous amount of time on screens outside of school – averaging nine hours per day for high school students, according to one study. Excessive screen time has been associated with many maladies, including anxiety and depression, executive function disorders, eye disorders, sleep loss, neck pain, and screen addiction. It’s for these reasons that LAUSD recently implemented the new ban on personal devices, a policy we applaud. However, it’s time to acknowledge that school-issued devices present urgent problems of their own.
Internet access on classroom devices can fragment students’ attention, making it difficult for them to think deeply and stay on task. Indeed, numerous studies have shown better comprehension and retention when students learn on paper vs screens. And classroom devices also create new behavioral challenges for teachers, requiring them to police online activity instead of teaching.
EdTech apps pose privacy risks through their collection of student data. And by gamifying the learning experience, they can undermine children’s ability to focus on work that doesn’t trigger short-term rewards, thereby diminishing the capacity for deep thinking.
Additionally, computer-based homework can be a gateway to unsanctioned online activity, placing an undue burden on parents to look over their children’s shoulder.
We are proposing a number of steps LAUSD can take immediately to begin mitigating these problems:
We are writing to express our deepest concern regarding the overreliance of our public schools on screen-based learning.
Our children are already spending an enormous amount of time on screens outside of school – averaging nine hours per day for high school students, according to one study. Excessive screen time has been associated with many maladies, including anxiety and depression, executive function disorders, eye disorders, sleep loss, neck pain, and screen addiction. It’s for these reasons that LAUSD recently implemented the new ban on personal devices, a policy we applaud. However, it’s time to acknowledge that school-issued devices present urgent problems of their own.
Internet access on classroom devices can fragment students’ attention, making it difficult for them to think deeply and stay on task. Indeed, numerous studies have shown better comprehension and retention when students learn on paper vs screens. And classroom devices also create new behavioral challenges for teachers, requiring them to police online activity instead of teaching.
EdTech apps pose privacy risks through their collection of student data. And by gamifying the learning experience, they can undermine children’s ability to focus on work that doesn’t trigger short-term rewards, thereby diminishing the capacity for deep thinking.
Additionally, computer-based homework can be a gateway to unsanctioned online activity, placing an undue burden on parents to look over their children’s shoulder.
We are proposing a number of steps LAUSD can take immediately to begin mitigating these problems:
- Eliminate 1:1 device programs for elementary schools, and limit use in middle & high schools to times when screens provide a unique benefit. Often, computers belong on carts or in a tech lab.
- Monitor the amount of time students spend on screens, and establish specific limits. Schools must also adhere to manufacturer’s guidelines for the safe use of digital devices, including all ergonomic and eye protection measures.
- Allow individual teachers & schools to opt out of district mandates (or “guidelines”) for the use of EdTech products like I-Ready, provided their students meet reasonable benchmarks for progress.
- Allow students to opt out of computer-based activities if requested by a parent and/or medical or mental health professional.
- Eliminate computer-based homework, which results in students spending more time distracting, non-school activities at night, potentially contributing to sleep loss, and which makes it harder for parents to monitor their children’s online activity.
- Establish a technology advisory committee with parent & teacher representatives to evaluate both existing and prospective EdTech products, to determine whether their educational value outweighs the harms delineated above. To make these determinations, the committee must rely on independent research regarding each product’s efficacy, rather than studies provided by the companies themselves.
- Use a limited number of EdTech products to maintain a manageable workload for curriculum coordinators and administrators.
We would be very happy to meet with you to discuss these concerns at your earliest convenience.
On behalf of our children, we implore you to take this issue seriously.
Signed,
Recent Supporters
-
22 days ago
Parent
Signed in Redondo Beach, CA
-
about 1 month ago
Parent
Signed in Redondo Beach, CA
-
2 months ago
Parent
Signed in Redondo Beach, CA
7 supporters have signed this campaign
Sign This Campaign
7
Signatures
Together, we're changing what's normal
Recent supporters:
Parent signed
22 days ago
Parent signed
about 1 month ago
Parent signed
2 months ago
Share This Campaign
Need to share on your social networks or via text? Copy this link and paste it into your message.