Petition: Decrease Screen Time and Put Teachers, Students, and Families First
To the Alpine School District Board of Education, Utah:
We ask the district to adopt age-appropriate limits on school-assigned screen time, including homework, and review district requirements for i-Ready and Lexia.
Prioritize Teachers and Hands-On Learning
Children’s overall screen exposure, including in schools, concerns us. Set limits on screen time and protect time for teacher interaction, discussion, play, and hands-on learning. Give teachers flexibility to design classroom lessons and homework around students’ needs instead of required software lessons such as i-Ready or Lexia. Kids are spending time on tablets instead of listening to and learning from a teacher. Prioritize reading physical books and teacher-led literacy instruction over computer-based reading programs such as Lexia.
Require Curricula to be Evidence-Based and Use Standardized Math Practices
There is a concerning lack of strong, independent, peer-reviewed evidence that i-Ready produces meaningful academic gains relative to other math curricula, especially non-electronic options. Before requiring any programs, publicly demonstrate their benefits using independent, peer-reviewed research relevant to our student demographic, including middle- and upper-income communities.
Please use curriculum that teaches standard math procedures alongside conceptual understanding. Parents report that some second graders do not know how to regroup (borrow) in subtraction because they are learning alternative methods, and that some sixth graders must learn standard division procedures after previously being taught alternative methods. Our children are not mastering standardized math skills the way they should. We are concerned about repeating the early-2000s “math wars” surrounding Investigations Math, when critics, including mathematicians, argued that the curriculum did not build deeper understanding and left children without fluent computational skills.
Be transparent with contract costs and what that funding could be used for in its place.
Respect Students’ Time and Give Parents a Voice in Their Children's Education
Investigate the concern that i-Ready can take up to five times longer than a worksheet covering the same problems. Evaluate pacing and unnecessary delays and how the time spent completing technology lessons may take away from time and attention that could be spent on memorizing multiplication tables and mastering standard algorithms, as one example.
Encourage teachers to assign manageable amounts of homework that allow students to balance schoolwork with family time, friendships, jobs and chores, sports, music, volunteer and/or church activities. If online curricula is required, offer equivalent off-screen homework options.
Give teachers and parents greater say in selecting reading materials and provide clear options for alternative assignments when content conflicts with family beliefs or values.
Address Junior High and High School Computer Time
Parents are concerned about the amount of time junior high and high school students are required to spend on a computer during the school day and for homework. Review the combined screen time required across all classes, rather than considering each class in isolation. Set age-appropriate limits and provide meaningful opportunities for off-screen learning, including reading, writing, discussion, and hands-on work.
Protect Safety and Privacy
Disclose what student data vendors collect, how it is used and shared, and when it is deleted. Restrict noneducational content and require enforceable privacy protections.
Develop a Screen-time Policy
In June 2026, Los Angeles Unified approved grade-based screen-time limits covering classwork and homework, with exceptions for accessibility and instructional needs.
We ask Alpine to develop a comparable policy through public input, publish its evidence and technology costs, and review results annually.
By signing, we support purposeful technology use, teacher judgment, and meaningful parental choice.