Angela Cutbill is focusing on the September 15th tech policy deadline and will be filling out the candidate questionnaire after the Board vote. In the meantime, she wanted to share her thoughts on the issue:

I would like to say that I don't believe that in this statement that I need to get into the harm that has been done to children both cognitively and in terms of their education through the well-intended but harmful widespread use of technology in American classrooms – I believe your group and myself are in complete agreement on this – we both know the data shows this. 

It’s the reason I started and led the ban on phones at schools – I spent several months studying the data not just in public schools, or in California, or even the US, but globally. And it was absolutely crystal clear – we needed a ban on phones, smart watches, and ear buds in our class – it’s the right thing for kids. Of course, that began what at least another Board member and I discussed as phones being only the start of a larger conversation about technology itself; we knew we’d only just begun.

Here, in a nutshell, are the things I believe we should do and do very soon – a ban on TK-2 except for mandated state testing, a total ban on YouTube and all social media, Chromebooks don’t go home in elementary, a ban on generative AI through high school (the district is free to make a reasoned and compelling case for adding back limited use in certain high school classes; we can have that conversation down the road). And absolutely we should have quantifiable screen time limits prescribed for each grade. 

Again, I have more expansive thoughts on these and other areas, but I wanted to be accountable to your group on my views and approach to these very important issues that are at the heart of our children’s well-being, their education, their very lives. I am grateful for all the ways you are all showing up to be advocates for all kids.