Petition to Promote Balanced Technology Use in Our D220 Schools
To the Board of Education and District 220 Administration:
We support the thoughtful, balanced use of technology in education, but digital devices must not replace the foundational experiences essential to healthy child development. While iPads have a place in modern classrooms, device use should never come at the expense of high-quality instruction, peer-to-peer interaction, and hands-on learning. Research increasingly links excessive school-related screen time to reduced attention and focus, digital eye strain, weaker reading comprehension, and disrupted sleep patterns.
As parents, residents, and community members, we believe our district can be a leader in creating a balanced approach to educational technology that prioritizes student learning, well-being, and transparency. We respectfully ask the Board of Education to adopt the following policies:
1. Transparency Through Grade-Level Device Monitoring
Monitor devices at the district level and publish quarterly grade-level reports showing:
- Average daily instructional screen time per student
- Most frequently used instructional apps and platforms
- Newly blocklisted websites and URLs
Providing this information helps both families and the district better understand how technology is being used, ground the conversation in actual data, and encourage informed conversations between home and school.
2. Keep Student Devices at School for Kindergarten Through Third Grade
Keep iPads for students in kindergarten through third grade on secure school charging carts overnight, and prioritize traditional pencil-and-paper homework whenever possible for these grades. This approach supports healthy routines at home, reduces unnecessary recreational screen time, and encourages the development of foundational handwriting and literacy skills.
3. Create Screen-Free Lunchrooms
Maintain screen-free lunch periods in all elementary (already the case) and middle school cafeterias. Lunch provides an important opportunity for students to build friendships, practice conversation skills, and take a meaningful break from screens during the school day.
4. Establish Grade-Specific Daily Instructional Screen Time Limits
Adopt reasonable grade-level maximums for daily instructional screen time, while allowing appropriate exceptions for students with documented accommodations, state and district assessments, and specialized coursework when technology is educationally necessary.
We believe intentional limits will help ensure that technology enhances learning without becoming the default mode of instruction.
Our Request
We respectfully ask Superintendent Dr. Craig Winkelman to respond with district next steps and timelines as we promote a healthy, balanced approach to technology use in our schools. Together, we can ensure that our students benefit from both innovative educational technology and the invaluable experiences that happen away from a screen.