As a student at Prince William County Schools (PWCS), I was taken by surprise when the Canvas app was abruptly removed from all middle and high school iPads. This change, though it came with warning, was sudden and has been very unpleasant. It seems there was no forethought for how it might affect our educational experience. Canvas has been a vital tool for managing our assignments and accessing course content through a single useful app. Now, students have to jump over hurdles just to find a document.

For the core years in a students life, suddenly having disruptions to learned behavior PWCS themselves had forced has to learn is confusing and troublesome. For example, many students like myself have digital sheet music in the form of files added as modules. In the app, it is easy to access and use them. However, using our only option, the website, is bafflingly complex when you try to zoom in or out, swipe around, or even move up.

The website is constantly laggy and slow, navigating to any page is a nightmare, and submitting assignments requires a lot more knowledge and skill. Asking any PWCS student, they’ll say there’s no actual functionality anymore, it’s all just a sort of guessing game.

We urge the PWCS administration to reconsider this decision and reinstate the Canvas app for its students. A smoother learning process is within reach if we bring back this invaluable resource. With the right technological support, students will not only meet but surpass their academic potential.

Please join me in making our voices heard. Sign this petition to let the PWCS administration know that students deserve access to the essential tools that support our education. Together, we can make a change for the better.