SCREENS WITH PURPOSE
Many parents in our district are asking thoughtful questions about technology use in elementary and middle school classrooms.
This is not an anti-technology effort. We understand that children need digital literacy and that technology can be helpful when it clearly supports learning. At the same time, many families are concerned that screen-based instruction may sometimes be used too often with young children, replacing paper, handwriting, books, discussion, teacher-led instruction, and hands-on learning.
Our goal is to encourage a balanced, age-appropriate, transparent conversation with the district about when technology helps learning — and when other approaches may better support young children.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at the June 22 Board of Education meeting and spoke in support of more thoughtful, balanced, and age-appropriate technology use in our schools.
Your presence, voices, and support showed that this is a shared concern among many families in our community.
Watch the meeting recording. The public comment section begins at 2:33:33.
We respectfully ask the district to review computer and Chromebook use in elementary and middle school classrooms and to share more information with families about how technology is used during the school day.
Specifically, we ask the district to consider:
1. Clear, Age-Appropriate Tech Expectations
Guidelines of screen time by grade
2. More Human, Hands-On Learning
More paper-based, book-based, and teacher-led instructions and learning
3. Real Options & Real Collaboration
A parent-teacher-administrator working group to guide decisions
We are not against technology. We are not asking the district to eliminate digital literacy or remove useful educational tools. We also recognize and appreciate the work of our teachers.
We are asking for balance, transparency, and thoughtful decisions about how much screen-based learning is appropriate for young children.
If you are a parent or guardian in our district and this topic matters to you, please consider taking one or more small steps:
sign petition
respond to the poll
share this website and your opinion with us thoughtfultechnologyusemtsd@gmail.com
attend or follow future Board of Education discussions https://www.mtsd.k12.nj.us/our-district/board-of-education/board-meeting-videos
This effort is stronger when it includes many thoughtful parent voices from different schools, grades, and perspectives.