Dear Dr. Trice, Members of the CHCCS Board of Education, and District Leadership,
 

We, the undersigned parents, educators and community members, are concerned about the growing overreliance on screen-based learning in our public schools. We are calling on Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools to act with urgency.
 

Despite the massive level of investment in edtech programs and 1:1 devices, test scores across the country have been declining for over a decade. Literacy rates are at historic lows. Students are struggling with executive function. Behavioral issues are on the rise. The achievement gap is widening. At the same time, students are less digitally literate than the generation before them.
 

The lack of independent, peer-reviewed research into edtech programs (e.g. iReady) is concerning. Meanwhile, research shows that comprehension and retention improve when working on paper. Most edtech programs gamify learning in ways that undermine deep thinking, collect and store student data, and offer no demonstrable proof that they meaningfully improve outcomes at scale. Internet-connected devices fragment attention and pull teachers away from teaching and toward monitoring online behavior.
 

Districts across the country are taking action. Los Angeles Unified, the second largest school district in the country, recently passed a landmark resolution committing to an intentional technology policy with specific limits. Here in North Carolina, Granville County is leading the charge with continued changes to students’ tech use including two Tech-Free Days per week, no devices in grades K-2, and eliminating 1:1 take-home devices in grades 3-8.

While we recognize the efforts of the CHCCS district in approving the Digital Learning Plan this past spring, in its current form, The Plan is not enough. Our kids need more and they need it now. 

The intent of this letter is to convey to Board Members and district leadership that this is, in fact, a widespread and urgent issue impacting the safety, well-being, and learning of our current students, as well as the future of our district.  
 

We are not anti-tech; we are pro-learning. Our goal is not to eliminate technology. We want to ensure that the use of technology in CHCCS is intentional, transparent, developmentally-appropriate, and in the best interests of our students. We believe that students learn best when instruction is delivered in-person by qualified teachers, in school buildings that are sufficiently staffed, and that screens and AI tools cannot be a substitute for the student-teacher relationship.

The following requests are grounded in evidence and offered in a spirit of collaboration.

OUR REQUESTS

We, the undersigned, call on CHCCS to adopt the following reforms for the 2026-27 school year:
 

1. Fundamentally Shift the District's Approach to Technology

We ask the district to take a more cautious, evidence-based approach to technology in our schools. Every tool adopted should serve a clear instructional purpose, demonstrate meaningful efficacy via independent research compared to existing methodologies, and not simply follow trends or prioritize convenience. 

We ask the district to:

• Adopt a policy requiring that any new technology used for learning be independently demonstrated as safe and meaningfully effective before it is introduced in classrooms

• Establish a district-wide culture that defaults to physical books, paper, hands-on materials and off-screen homework whenever feasible, reserving devices for tasks where digital tools offer a clear, evidence-backed advantage over traditional methods
   

2. Reduce Unnecessary Screen Exposure

Excessive and poorly structured screen time poses documented risks to children's development, attention, and well-being. 

We ask the district to:

• Discontinue use of digital devices (iPads and Chromebooks) in grades K–2. Commit to piloting paper-based progress monitoring in every elementary school beginning this fall with a plan to phase out digital progress monitoring completely by the end of the 2026-27 academic year. 

• Return to a shared device / cart model / computer lab in grades 3–8, with optional checkout available as needed

• Require that families must OPT-IN to Chromebooks being brought home in middle school. Homework must be provided off-screen to ensure equity and that devices are not required to complete work. Chromebooks can be checked out for take home use for special projects and with teacher approval.

• Prohibit the recreational use of school-issued devices during free time, lunch, and activity/recess, and eliminate their use as a reward, incentive, or brain break (including smartboards). Unstructured time supports social development and should not be replaced by screen time. District devices are learning tools and not entertainment

• Consider offering low-tech alternatives and/or pathways for families who request them and clearly inform parents of their availability
   

3. Establish Smarter Guardrails

Stronger safeguards are needed to ensure that technology is used safely, appropriately and responsibly. 

We ask the district to:

• Set clear daily or weekly screen time guidelines and best practices, and define permitted uses by grade span. All policies should include appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities.

• Adopt a "safe list" model for elementary and middle schools, where only pre-approved sites and tools are accessible versus relying on block lists (e.g. Require the use of GoGuardian ‘Scenes’ by teachers).

• Restrict the use of overly gamified apps that prioritize engagement and time-on-platform over substantive learning outcomes.

• Block student-directed access to non-educational platforms including YouTube, social media, and gaming sites across all district devices and networks.

• Disable student access to any generative AI tools, apps, websites, and software on all school-issued devices until this technology has been proven safe, legal, and effective, and until age-appropriate guidelines are established. 

• Require that all apps, platforms, or software used for instruction or on school-issued devices is completely free of advertising.
   

4. Conduct a Comprehensive Curriculum and Program Review

The majority of edtech programs are not supported by independent research demonstrating improved student outcomes at scale.  

We ask the district to:

• Discontinue iReady. There is no independent research demonstrating its efficacy at scale; its value as a diagnostic is questionable; it is subject to an ongoing lawsuit regarding student privacy violations; and it has negatively impacted students' learning enjoyment

• Audit and publish a list of all current edtech contracts, analyze usage data, and only retain tools with demonstrated impact that justifies their cost and cannot be replicated through traditional methods

• Adopt a formal digital literacy curriculum that builds genuine, transferable skills and includes an honest treatment of AI that addresses what it is, how it works, its risks, ethical implications, and environmental costs. Media literacy and computer skills curricula shall be developed by, or purchased from, independent sources without ties, directly or indirectly, to technology companies with a financial interest in having students use technology products.  
   

5. Increase Transparency and Family Awareness

Families should have visibility into what tools their children are using and how their data is being handled. 

We ask the district to:

• Publish and maintain a list of all edtech programs approved for use by grade level, and update it each school year

• Provide parents with access to detailed reports on their child's screen activity on district-issued devices, reflecting use throughout the school day and after school hours

• Require explicit parental consent for each application that collects student data, in accordance with current FTC guidelines on COPPA

• Require disclosure when generative AI is used in student assessment or evaluation, and obtain explicit student and/or parental consent before AI is used to grade or assess student work
   

6. Support Teachers Through the Transition

None of these changes will succeed without meaningful investment in our teaching staff.

We ask the district to:

• Provide teachers with relevant professional development, updated instructional materials, and dedicated planning time to navigate these changes confidently and effectively

• Ensure that no teacher is left without the tools and support needed to succeed under any new policy direction
   

The evidence is clear and public consensus is growing. Other districts have already taken meaningful steps in this direction. We respectfully call on Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools to do the same. The time to act is now to protect the development and academic success of our students.
 

Respectfully,

The Undersigned