• We recognize the value of technology in education, we just want it to be intentional. This petition asks SDUSD to create clear, research-based guidelines for when and how devices are used, so screentime serves learning rather than replaces it.
• Students learn best with hands-on tools. We're asking the district to limit individual devices for TK–5th grade and move middle schoolers to shared computer labs, so tech is a purposeful tool rather than how education is delivered.
• Some apps and features aren't ready for kids yet. We're asking the district to block student access to YouTube and AI tools on school devices until they've been independently shown to be safe and effective for classroom use.
• Parents should be in the loop. We want individual consent for each app used in school, plus weekly screen time reports so families can stay informed and make choices that work for their kids.
• Technology should be used to transform and support learning - not as the primary delivery method for education that pushes teachers to the sidelines. We want the district to shift the paradigm of how we approach technology use in our schools.

School districts everywhere rushed 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 and taxpayers, 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.

San Diego Unified School District’s growing reliance on Chromebooks and screen-based applications has negative consequences on students’ learning, online safety, and development and behavior.

We respectfully request that the San Diego Unified District School Board adopt an Ed Tech Resolution by June 2026 and implement it by the 2026–2027 school year.  See Resolution language here.

Specifically, we call for:

1. Grade-level limits on 1:1 devices - Students in TK through 5th grade should not use 1:1 district-issued devices except for required formative assessments. Students should shift to a shared computer cart or technology lab model, where technology supports learning rather than being its primary delivery method. The policy should include maximum daily and weekly screen time limits by grade level and subject area, including accommodations for students with disabilities. 

2. Technology Education over Educational Tech - The district should teach computer and digital literacy skills before giving access to technology and devices. Computer skills and digital literacy should be taught through a developmentally appropriate curriculum by a trained computer teacher.  

3. No screens during breaks - Elementary and middle school students should not be permitted to use 1:1 district devices during free time in class, including passing periods, lunch, or recess. These unstructured times are essential for social development and mental rest.

4. YouTube blocked for students - Student access to YouTube on district devices should be blocked. Teachers may continue using YouTube for instructional purposes. 

5. AI tools disabled on student devices - All generative AI tools, AI chatbots, large language models, and AI-powered search features should be disabled on student devices. These tools should remain blocked until they have been independently proven safe, legal, and effective for student use, and until age-appropriate guidelines have been established.

6. Evidence-based, ad-free apps only - Any application used for instruction or on school-issued devices must have independent, research-backed evidence of educational effectiveness, be free of advertising, and comply with student data privacy law. Apps that do not meet these standards should be removed from student-facing devices. The district should critically reassess tools like i-Ready for both efficacy and cost, and evaluate whether digital testing should return to analog methods.

7. Real parental consent and weekly screen time reports - Parents and guardians should be required to give explicit, individual consent for each app used in the classroom, not a blanket sign-off on a Universal Form. Consistent with FTC guidelines under COPPA, every app that collects student data should require specific parental consent. Parents should also receive weekly reports on their child's screen activity on district devices.

8. Investment in physical learning materials - The district should prioritize pen, paper, and print. Research consistently shows that handwriting, solving math problems with written work, and reading from printed materials all enhance comprehension, retention, and cognitive engagement more effectively than their digital equivalents. The district should invest in printed textbooks, notebooks, and writing supplies, and make paper-based homework the norm, especially for TK–8 students.

9. Full public accounting of ed-tech spending - The district should publish a detailed public report of all funds spent on educational technology over the past five school years (2020–2021 through 2025–2026), broken down by category: internet and licensing services, infrastructure, hardware, software for student use, and IT staff. The report should also disclose any income or things of value received from technology companies. Funding priorities should then be realigned toward evidence-based teaching methods.

10. An independent oversight committee - The district should establish an Expert Educational Technology Committee made up of educators, students, caregivers, and technology experts who are free of financial conflicts of interest. This committee would review current research, evaluate district policies annually, and make recommendations to the Board of Education to ensure practices remain in line with independent evidence.

11. Shift the paradigm on how we think about technology’s role in education - Technology should be used to transform learning, not sideline teachers, or be used as the primary delivery method for education. The district should critically review all technology, websites, and applications currently being used in the classroom in order to validate, through independent and research-backed standards, that they are: safe; effective; legal; and provide a unique learning outcome that could not be otherwise achieved. 

We submit these requests in the spirit of collaboration and shared responsibility. Our goal is not to eliminate technology, but to ensure that its use in SDUSD schools is intentional, transparent, age-appropriate, and aligned with students' best interests.  

Signed,
Concerned San Diego Residents

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