Safe School Tech

The promise of tech in schools hasn’t turned out as we’d hoped.

Introducing technology into schools was supposed to improve learning, close the equity gap, and prepare students for careers in the tech era. How’s that going?

Not so well.

Learning. We were told that giving every student a laptop and the latest EdTech apps would improve learning. The results are in, and the opposite has happened. Immersing students in digital environments distracts students, fragments their attention, and reduces their ability to self-regulate. Test scores have gone down, not up.

Equity. We were told that giving every student a device would close the digital divide—that access would reduce inequality. Again, the opposite has happened. When screen time goes up and learning goes online, low-income kids’ reading and math scores go down the most. Neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath calls this the Equity Illusion of EdTech and has the data to back it.

Career Readiness. We were told that preparing students for future work requires “digital literacy skills.” It does. But instead of teaching students how to make good use of technology, we’ve taught them how to read, write, think, and do math using technology. Oops. And it turns out that the skills people need to work in the digital age—like reasoning, focus, and other mental muscles–are the very skills that Chromebooks, YouTube, and AI are eroding.

AAPS is quickly introducing technology that our kids aren’t ready for

First, it was issuing Chromebooks to every student starting in first grade. Then high schoolers got MacBook Airs. YouTube is a mainstay in lesson plans and accessible on school devices to kids too young to read or do arithmetic. (No, the filters aren’t working as promised).

Meanwhile, our kids are serving as guinea pigs for thousands of EdTech apps, many of them gamified and addictive. More platforms, apps, and devices are being added every year.

Most recently (April 2026), the district leadership proposed a massive rollout of AI at every level. It did this with great enthusiasm and optimism but little awareness of how this will affect our kids’ brains, bodies, learning, and mental health.

It doesn’t have to be this way. 

In fact, it’s time to hit the pause button and ask each other and our school leaders a few simple questions:

• What devices and content are appropriate at each grade level?

• How do we weigh the benefits against the risks?

• Is it fair to our kids to let them be guinea pigs for new untested technology?

• If a family wants to opt-out, ask for accommodations, or simply weigh into decisions, how can it do this?

Parents are concerned, frustrated, and curious.

Many parents we've talked to are concerned. Some are frustrated, even angry. Most just want to understand what's actually happening, and whether anyone is asking the right questions before making decisions.

Technology has a place in schools, but we won’t let it run the show or own our kids’ futures. So, we're asking: What is it actually for? How much is too much? And who gets to weigh in on these questions?

From AAPS Central Admin presentation of proposed AI rollout to school board on April 8, 2026