Frequently Asked Questions
Who are we?
Founded in 2025, Schools Beyond Screens is a grassroots coalition of parents & teachers advocating for safer classroom technology. We believe the tech in our schools should be student-centered, not corporate-sponsored.
Although we started with a group of parents in the Los Angeles Unified School district, we’ve grown rapidly, and now encompass dozens of chapters throughout California and beyond.
What is our primary objective?
We believe school districts must develop a cohesive plan and set of principles for the use of classroom technology. Too often, digital tools are adopted without evidence for their safety or effectiveness, based on nothing more than the claims of tech marketers. These products are a gateway to digital distraction, tempting kids to waste time on YouTube or video games instead of learning. And they cost millions of taxpayer dollars that might otherwise be spent on human teachers or facility improvements, all while exposing children’s sensitive data to predatory advertisers and the dark web.
This powerful PSA from our friends at Smartphone Free Childhood could easily apply to school-issued devices:
Where can I learn more about this issue?
Start here! More Perfect Union’s 13 minute report, How Big Tech Uses YOUR Kids’ Classrooms To Sell THEIR Products, is a great overview:
Then read Jessica Grose’s brilliant Op-Ed, Get Tech Out of the Classroom Before It’s Too Late.
For a deep dive, check out the National Education Policy Center’s recent report, Fit for Purpose? How Today’s Commercial Digital Platforms Subvert Key Goals of Public Education.
Is Schools Beyond Screens anti-technology?
Not at all! We simply believe technology use in school should be guided by thoughtful principles:
Technology in our schools should be used to facilitate, not inhibit, learning.
Technology in our schools should be safe for children, and used in developmentally appropriate ways.
The needs of students must come before corporate profits.
Students should learn fundamental computer skills.
All EdTech products must have independently proven educational benefits for students.
Students should not have access to distracting, non-educational content on school-issued devices.
Parents should be provided with detailed information about their child’s tech use.
Do I belong here?
YES! Our members encompass a wide range of beliefs and practices when it comes to technology, but we are all united in our desire for reasonable reforms to ensure that schools provide technology that is safe, effective, and legal.
Where can I learn more about LAUSD’s Google Consent form?
Watch a recording of our Google Consent Form Town Hall with attorney Andrew Liddell of the EdTech Law Center. We guide you through the form in detail and answer common questions! The bottom line: you don’t have to sign.
Ok, I’m fired up! How do I get more involved?
Once you sign up, we’ll connect you with a Schools Beyond Screens chapter in your area, or provide you with a toolkit to start your own!
More questions? Comments? Want to share your experience? Contact us! We’d love to hear from you. Strength in numbers.