MCPS Board of Education unanimously passes screen time audit resolution
On July 16, the board unanimously passed a screen time audit resolution introduced by Board Member Julie Yang. The resolution was drafted with the help of the MCCPTA Tech Committee and supported by almost 600 MCPS parents and educators who signed a Community Letter of Support!
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The resolution calls on MCPS to conduct a comprehensive tech audit for grades K-8 to assess the amount and type of student screen time used on school devices, due March 2027. Dr. Taylor indicated that MCPS would be relying on data usage information from devices as well as perceptions of the stakeholder community (likely via survey data). MCPS plans to create a work plan for the audit which it will present to the board at a later date. A number of supporters, including members of the MCCPTA Technology Committee, testified in support, and include resources in their testimony. You can also watch the public comments here.
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Testimony of Betsy Tao (Written) (includes testimonials from those who signed the letter of support)
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Testimony of Katharina Matro (Written) (from an MCPS high school teacher)
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Testimony of Erin Hofmann (Written) (includes results of a survey of 175 MCPS educators on screen use)
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Testimony of Ashley Bowers (Written) (includes a presentation of what an elementary student can access)
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Testimony of Marissa Walker (Written) (speaks to the ineffectiveness of MCPS filters)
If you support intentional and safe technology use in schools and would like to stay in the loop on advocacy efforts, Schools Beyond Screens MCPS has a Google Group (join here!) and a WhatsApp Community (join here!).