Petition for Intentional Technology Use in Rochester Public Schools, ISD 535
A campaign from Schools Beyond Screens - Schools Beyond Screens Rochester
Sign This Campaign
29
Signatures
Together, we're changing what's normal
Recent supporters:
Parent signed
5 days ago
Parent signed
6 days ago
Parent signed
11 days ago
Why This Matters
School districts across the country are addressing classroom screen time: setting grade-level limits, blocking YouTube and gaming platforms on school devices, eliminating devices for the youngest students, and requiring weekly screen reports to parents. These changes are based on the most up-to-date findings from studies that address student learning, cognition, and well-being.
These changes are happening because parents organized, showed up, and made it impossible to ignore.
The RPS school board has the authority to act. They do not need to wait for state guidance or federal standards. What they need to hear is that their own community is paying attention and expects them to lead.
The changes outlined below are based on the evidence as well as changes that other school districts around the country have already implemented. By signing this petition, you will join with other parents and community members in the RPS school district to ask our school board to address screen time use now.
Dear Rochester School Board Directors,
We are writing to urge Rochester Public Schools to take bold action on the growing crisis of excessive screen time in our schools.
Children in America already spend an average of nine 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. This is not a future risk. It is happening to our children now.
We were encouraged to see both NY City Public Schools and Los Angeles Unified School District -- the largest school districts in the nation -- pass a landmark resolution in early 2026 committing to a formal screen time policies with specific, enforceable limits. Districts of any size can take meaningful action.
As RPS undertakes its recently passed Strategic Plan we urge them to join school districts across the country and meaningfully engage with the growing expert consensus that screens inhibit students' learning and imperil their social, cognitive and emotional development.
Our Requests
We urge Rochester Public Schools 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/tablet carts and computer labs for grades 2-5. 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 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.
5. Ban device use during unstructured time. Strengthen the existing RPS student device policy by prohibiting 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. 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 and an EdTech audit for all current contracts. Do not rely solely on vendor-supplied research. Ensure student data is protected and that contracts include accountability mechanisms.
9. Pause the adoption of generative AI tools in classrooms while the research catches up. Institute a moratorium pausing new contracts for products or curricula that use large language models (LLMs), and temporarily suspend current use of student-facing AI apps, including Google Gemini, which has been deemed "high risk" for children by Common Sense Media. A moratorium would give RPS's governing board the time and space to conduct a thorough assessment of existing research on these tools in educational settings, carefully weighing the risks against the potential benefits. The safety and wellbeing of RPS students deserves that level of care and attention.
As parents in the Rochester Public School District, we have seen firsthand how screens affect our children's ability to focus, connect with their peers, and engage in meaningful learning. We've seen school iPad's misused to access inappropriate content and YouTube ads as a regular part of our children's school day. Students need more time and space with teachers and peers that are not mediated by screens.
The science is clear. The public consensus is growing. We respectfully urge Rochester Public Schools to act now to protect the health, development, and academic success of our children.
Sincerely,
The undersigned
Recent Supporters
-
5 days ago
Parent
Signed in Rochester, MN
-
6 days ago
Parent
Signed in Rochester, MN
-
11 days ago
Parent
Signed in Rochester, MN
29 supporters have signed this campaign
Sign This Campaign
29
Signatures
Together, we're changing what's normal
Recent supporters:
Parent signed
5 days ago
Parent signed
6 days ago
Parent signed
11 days ago
Share This Campaign
Need to share on your social networks or via text? Copy this link and paste it into your message.