As a student at Robert L. Bland Middle School, I have personally experienced the negative impacts of using the i-Ready program in our classrooms. Many of my peers and I have struggled to focus on our studies due to this mandatory online tool, which often leads to intense boredom rather than productive learning.

The requirement for us to spend a certain amount of time on the website and complete multiple lessons within a week has created unnecessary stress among students. It's important to remember that everyone's developmental process is unique and should not be dictated by a computer program.

Research has shown that digital education tools can sometimes hinder learning more than they help it (source: National Education Policy Center). In particular, mandatory usage policies like those associated with i-Ready can create an environment where students are focused more on meeting arbitrary benchmarks than truly understanding material (source: American Psychological Association).

We believe that education should be engaging, personalized, and beneficial for all students - not just those who learn best through digital means. Therefore, we call upon the administration at Robert L. Bland Middle School in Weston, WV to reconsider their use of i-Ready as part of their curriculum.

Please sign this petition if you agree that our educational experience should prioritize genuine understanding over artificial benchmarks set by computer programs.