School districts everywhere are rushing 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, 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, the undersigned parents and caregivers, respectfully request that the San Diego Unified School District consider our proposals listed below. We recognize that technology can play a role in education. However, current levels of screen exposure—particularly for young children—are developmentally inappropriate, insufficiently transparent, and often inconsistent with best practices in child development, learning science, and data privacy. Families deserve meaningful choice, clear consent, and policies that prioritize students’ well-being over convenience or default digital use.

We therefore request the following actions:

1. Reconsider the 1:1 Device Model by Grade Level

We ask the district to adopt a developmentally appropriate approach to technology use, including no 1:1 devices for the youngest students, and reduced device dependence in elementary and middle school. Young children learn best through hands-on, relational, and sensory-rich experiences—not screens. Replace 1:1 with a computer lab taught by a trained technology teacher and taught as a special subject like library, motor lab, etc. Computer lab to begin no earlier than 2nd grade. Formalize digital literacy and skill-building curriculum. Teach skills before granting access to devices.

2. Ensure Homework Is Paper-and-Pencil Only for TK–8

To preserve healthy boundaries between school and home and to reduce unnecessary screen exposure, we request that all homework for TK–8 students be paper-and-pencil only, so that school-issued devices remain at school.

3. Prohibit Recreational Screen Use During the School Day

We request a clear prohibition on Chromebook or screen use before school, during lunch, during recess, or during unstructured downtime, as well as blocks on YouTube and video games like Minecraft. Unstructured time at school is critical for socialization, movement, imagination, and emotional regulation. Also, sites like YouTube and Minecraft pose well-documented risks related to distraction, inappropriate content, and addictive design. 

4. Require Explicit Opt-In for Any Generative AI Tools

Families should not be defaulted into emerging technologies with unknown developmental and ethical implications. We request that any generative AI tools require explicit parental opt-in, with clear disclosure of purpose, data use, and limitations.

5. Guarantee a Meaningful Opt-Out from EdTech

Families should have the right to opt out of educational technology without penalty to their child. We request a clear, written pathway for opting out and provide reasonable accommodations.

6. Obtain Parental Consent for Each Data-Collecting App or Website

In alignment with updated FTC guidance under COPPA, we request parental consent for each individual app or website that collects student data. 

7. Provide Weekly Parent Reports of Student Online Activity

We request weekly, parent-facing reports that include: time spent on school-issued devices, as well as what apps and websites were accessed.

8. Increase Community Input and Transparency

We request that the district: conduct regular surveys on EdTech and screen use, host Town Hall–style meetings on technology decisions or allow parent attendance and participation in Technology Committee meetings. Families deserve a voice in decisions that directly affect their children.

9. Support Low-Tech Alternatives for Teachers and Students

We request that the district provide planning time, professional support, and small resource grants to help teachers offer low-tech alternatives during free time, inclement weather, or for students whose families opt out of digital tools. Transition standardized testing to paper, or provide opt-out with reasonable accommodations. Invest in Vocational and career technical education, like engineering labs, automotive, agricultural technologies, makers labs, etc.,  and low-tech learning environments, like libraries, hands-on science Labs, theatre, and outdoor classrooms.

10. Educate Families About Screen Health Risks

We ask the district to provide education for families on the health and developmental risks of excessive screen use and how to recognize and respond to issues such as problematic or addictive screen behaviors. The district should encourage programs like WaitUntil8th and the Screenagers Screen-Free Sleep Pledge to help with community efforts. Schools should be partners with families in protecting children’s well-being.

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,
SDUSD Parents and Caregivers