Students learn best through meaningful interaction—with teachers, peers, books, writing, discussion, movement, and hands-on experiences. Technology should support those experiences, not replace them.

We are asking Austin ISD to adopt district-wide practices that prioritize learning, healthy development, student safety, and human connection.

Intentional Screen Use

Use technology when it provides a clear instructional benefit, while prioritizing non-screen learning when it does not.

Safer, Less Distracting Devices

Protect students from YouTube, gaming, social media, inappropriate content, and other digital distractions on school-issued devices.

Developmentally Appropriate Practices

Set age-appropriate expectations for technology use and preserve screen-free opportunities for reading, writing, play, movement, conversation, and hands-on learning.

Transparency & Accountability

Give families greater visibility into how technology and AI are used in schools, and ensure educational technology is independently evaluated for effectiveness, safety, privacy, and developmental impact.

Research increasingly raises concerns about excessive or poorly designed technology use in educational settings, including effects on attention, learning, memory, social interaction, and student development.

At the same time, research supports the value of handwriting, print-based reading, discussion, direct human interaction, and other active, multisensory approaches to learning.

Our goal isn’t to eliminate technology from schools. It’s to ensure that technology serves education—not the other way around.