Sensible Screens

We are trying to gather as many signatures as possible from the families of students at all Burlington schools.  If you share our concerns and support our recommendations, please sign below!

We, the undersigned families of children in the Burlington School District, request that the Burlington School Board move swiftly to enact a policy to protect all our children and improve our district’s education for all our children by limiting the use of technology in classrooms, specifically 1-1 device programs.

We advocate for the Vermont Revised Model School Tech Use Resolution (see below) as a worthy policy that addresses many of our concerns, and ask the board to either adopt it or something like it.

We feel this matter is of the utmost urgency and ask the board to act to protect and support our children!

Sign Here

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Vermont Revised Model School Tech Use Resolution

WHEREAS, the ____________Board of Education/Supervisory Union is committed to ensuring that all students receive a high-quality education that promotes academic excellence, critical thinking, and long-term retention of knowledge; and 

WHEREAS, research shows that handwriting and reading from paper materials enhance comprehension, memory retention, and cognitive engagement compared to reading or writing on digital screens; and 

WHEREAS, pen-and-paper instruction encourages focus, minimizes distractions often associated with electronic devices, and fosters the development of fine motor skills and personal responsibility in note-taking and organization; and

WHEREAS, excessive screen time has been linked to increased eye strain, reduced attention spans, sleep disturbances, and negative effects on mental health, particularly in children and adolescents; and

WHEREAS, research reported in The Lancet has raised concerns about associations between higher early childhood screen exposure and adverse outcomes in attention, emotional regulation, mental health, and physical well-being in childhood; and 

WHEREAS, a 2026 Stanford report notes that research on AI’s impact on K-12 students and educators remains extremely limited; a 2026 Brookings study concluded that “the risks of utilizing generative AI in children’s education overshadow its benefits”; and existing research links AI use to “cognitive surrender” and erosion of teacher-student trust; and

WHEREAS, this guidance is especially urgent for children and adolescents, whose screen exposure most displaces play, movement, peer interaction, and self-regulation, and for whom the long-term risks of early, excessive screen use are greatest; and

WHEREAS, the Board recognizes that technology has a role in modern education, its use must be balanced with proven traditional methods to best support student achievement and well-being;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board affirms its support for pen-and paper instruction as the primary mode of learning in classrooms; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ________ school district will prioritize investments in physical learning materials, including printed textbooks, and will provide professional development to educators on maximizing the effectiveness of traditional instruction methods; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board shall only authorize screen time for activities where technology offers clear, independent evidence-based instructional advantages; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all student-facing technology shall have independent research showing it’s safe, effective and compliant with state and federal privacy laws; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ___________ school district shall provide full transparency to all student facing curriculum contracts; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ___________  school district shall provide age-appropriate media literacy as required by state law, including critical artificial intelligence literacy instruction, using an independent research-informed curriculum; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: that homework shall not require access to the internet, digital or online technology/products; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: that student-facing screen use shall be age appropriate and limited: 

  • Pre-K to grade 5: All hands-on, print-based instruction, with exceptions for grades 3 to 5 for assessment preparation, computer science standards and accessibility accommodations;
  • Grades 6 to 8: Screen time done in a computer lab or a shared computer cart model;  
  • Grades 9 to 12: Screen time done in a computer lab or a computer cart model. One-to-one digital may be introduced; 
  • All screen time shall be for educational purposes, teacher-led, actively supervised; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That student-facing applications shall not include: 

  • Manipulative, addictive, or dangerous design features, including but not limited to: advertisements; engagement maximization systems; geolocation, access to adult strangers;
  • Features that interfere with learning, distract from instruction; or reduce academic focus; 
  • The ability to profit from the collection and use of student data; 
  • Generative or conversational AI years, before proven safe, effective and privacy compliant.

APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the _____Board of Education on this ____day of Month 2026.