Dear fellow Scarsdale residents, parents and students,

Based on recent research regarding adverse effects of electronic device usage, the U.S. Surgeon General’s recent concerns and recommendations about social media as well as the Seattle Public School's suing large tech companies over social media harms (please see links all listed below), our Scarsdale community should have the right to choose how students can fairly, safely and effectively receive their education for all levels in the Scarsdale Public Schools.  Numerous Scarsdale Public School parents have deep concerns regarding extensive daily hours of continuous electronic device usage during school and for after school homework and would like to see learning options offered for their children. Starting in the Scarsdale Middle School, academic curriculum is geared mostly all towards e-learning without openly offering students paper-based learning.  There are students who benefit from paper-based learning and there are students who benefit from e-learning using school supplied electronic devices currently in their possession.  Highly respected private schools in relative close proximity to Scarsdale are currently supplying students at all levels with both paper-based learning and e-learning for assignments in the classroom and for after school homework.

This petition recently posted by parents and I who have children enrolled in the Scarsdale Public Schools is intended to give all parents and students the right to openly choose how students learn for all levels in the Scarsdale Public Schools system from one of these options. (Note: This is NOT a petition to eliminate e-learning or change academic curriculum currently in use).

1) Paper-based learning - (Printed paper assignments supplied by the Scarsdale Public Schools).
2) e-learning - (Use of current Scarsdale Public Schools supplied individual electronic devices). 
3) Hybrid: Paper-based learning and e-learning - (Balanced amount of usage for both at the discretion of the parents and student).  

As a Scarsdale resident since 1965, Scarsdale Public Schools graduate, a teacher for over 40 years, when I had attended Scarsdale Public Schools its national ranking used to be of the highest level in the U.S. and had set the country’s standard for public education.  Today, for our children enrolled in Scarsdale Public Schools, my wife and I would have never known their full academic potential had we not returned their school electronic devices.  Their grades and evaluations increased very significantly, their focus heightened while learning which led to shorter study time for academic homework completion without the electronic device distraction and propensity to want to roam elsewhere on the internet while trying to study.  In the Scarsdale Middle School for example where the academic curriculum is based mostly all on e-learning, we had to speak up in order to request our child learn via paper-based which is now currently printed and supplied by the school.  We chose to avoid the adverse effects of overuse dependency from excessive hours of study during school and homework, mental fatigue and eye strain caused by the school's electronic device.  We also chose not to sign the Scarsdale Public School’s “Responsible Use of Technology Agreement” regarding their “Technology and Social Media Policy” which puts the full burden upon the student and parents should there be misuse that may have negative results due to their school issued electronic device possession and usage or online activities, such as possible exposure to cyber bullying, and absolves the school system of responsibility in supplying such electronic devices. Scarsdale Public Schools took back possession of the their electronic device and led to our requesting and receiving paper-based learning which the school was able to implement immediately and the teachers supplied us paper print-outs the very next school day for all academic subjects.  They are still receiving the same quality academic curriculum printed-out without an electronic device.

The overly inflated circulated notion that our student's lives are dependent on having to do most all of their school academic curriculum using electronic devices in order to learn, succeed and survive in the real world to prepare for technology use in the future after their Scarsdale Public Schools enrollment is not only inaccurate but hampering many students from reaching their true full learning potential in the present day.  If a student has the desire to major in computer science, they can choose so in college and many professions need only minimal basic computer skills that people can hop right into.  Constant student usage of electronics such as smart phones and school issued devices are also suppressing real person-to-person social interaction, self-esteem, and empathy towards others.  Perhaps reasons why, as included in Seattle Public Schools suing large tech companies, we are seeing such rises nationally in student depression and school related acts of violence by young people than in times past.

I have a had a series of correspondences with members of the Scarsdale Public Schools Board of Education, Parent Teachers Council and Scarsdale Public Schools administration requesting action that the above options be made openly and knowingly available for all members of our Scarsdale Public Schools community.   Scarsdale Public Schools need to take into account that even in today’s environment, one model of learning does not always fit all students well if our goal is to achieve the highest level of focus and learning for each and every student.  Necessary adjustments and provisions must be addressed otherwise it is just generalized education.  Structure and policy should adjust for the student, not the student conform for the system.  All young people deserve the utmost individual consideration even if educators have to go the extra mile, regardless if large tech companies have convinced school systems as to how much easier it is now to conveniently process them.

As a proud longtime Scarsdale resident, dedicated teacher as well as concert performer having donated hundreds of educational school performance assemblies for public and private school students throughout the U.S. including the Edgewood and Fox Meadow Elementary Schools, and donated master classes for colleges and universities, I have always made it my objective to inspire all young people to learn and succeed at their highest level of achievement.  By giving all school children, not just my own, the needed options to succeed, parents and students can choose which option of the three listed above most effectively suits the student’s individual learning needs.

Please sign this petition if you would like to have the above options easily known and accessible to you, giving you the right to choose how to receive education in the Scarsdale Public Schools system.

You can make your views known to the Scarsdale Public Schools by signing this petition and also writing the school system at:
Scarsdale Schools Board of Education: boardofed@scarsdaleschools.org
Scarsdale Schools Superintendent: apatrick@scarsdaleschools.org
Scarsdale Schools PT Council: ScarsdalePTCouncil@gmail.com

Thank you for reading through this petition.  

Best regards,  

Ray Dotoratos
Scarsdale resident and school parent
Scarsdale Citizen’s Petition for Scarsdale Public Schools

U.S. Surgeon General says 13 is ‘too early’ to join social media (Jan. 29, 2023) 
https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/29/health/surgeon-general-social-media/index.html

Seattle schools sue tech giants over social media harm (Jan. 8, 2023)   
https://apnews.com/article/social-media-seattle-lawsuits-mental-health-965a8f373e3bfed8157571912cc3b542

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Pediatrics - Association of Screen Time and Depression in Adolescence iAdolescence  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2737909?guestAccessKey=7f0019bd-f2eb-4dc1-a509-cd5bc2444a79&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=071519 

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Pediatrics - Association of Habitual Checking Behaviors on Social Media With Longitudinal Functional Brain Development  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2799812?guestAccessKey=7fedb432-3c46-496d-be6b-e9b7394a71f2&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=010323

For adolescents, social media might be a brain-changer, researchers say
https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/03/health/social-media-checking-teen-development-wellness/index.html

MRIs show screen time linked to lower brain development in preschoolers
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/04/health/screen-time-lower-brain-development-preschoolers-wellness/index.html

Social media use may harm teens’ mental health by disrupting positive activities, study says
https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/13/health/social-media-mental-health-trnd/index.html