District 34 is a great school district. Our teachers are dedicated, our test scores are strong, and our community is passionate about our children's success. And we have a problem.

There are no screen time limits in our schools. iPads go home every night. We give them to kindergartners. And our kids are spending more and more time learning on screens — at the exact moment the science is telling us we should pause. This is the first generation in modern history to show a decline in cognitive performance, and it emerged alongside the rapid expansion of screens into childhood. Research shows students are off-task the majority of time they spend on classroom devices, and behavioral issues decline when screen time is reduced. Our children deserve to be more focused, more socially connected, more capable of sustained independent and critical thinking. 

We are not asking District 34 to ban technology. We are asking it to be intentional — to ensure that every device-based activity is purposefully better than the alternative. We are asking the D34 Board to adopt an Intentional Technology Use Policy organized around three areas:

Personal Devices

• Bell-to-bell ban on personal phones — including lunch 

School-Issued iPads

• No 1:1 iPads for K–2, where screens add no measurable learning benefit
• iPads used only when genuinely better than the non-digital alternative
•  Pen and paper as the instructional default (including for writing, math, and reading)
• 30-minute daily screen limit
• Screen-free periods — recess, lunch, music, art, PE, and transitions
• iPad's stay at school as default — home use opt-in only
• Learning proper technology/screen etiquette when iPads are issued (including learning to type and removing voice activation) 
• Banning non-educational apps (e.g. YouTube, social media, games)
• Independent research required before renewing any EdTech contracts (IXL, Epoch, etc.)

Artificial Intelligence

• Ensure AI is used only as a tool that enhances cognitive development — not replaces it 

Standing Exceptions

• All provisions above include appropriate exceptions for students with IEPs or 504 Plans, and for genuine school safety emergencies.

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 Sign if you believe District 34 can do better.  We know it can.