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Parents, doctors and students urge limits on classroom screen time; board tables district software approvals
Summary
Public commenters, including pediatric and neurology specialists and dozens of students, urged the district to limit early grade screen time and questioned the academic claims for game‑like programs; the board tabled approval of a broad set of educational technology tools for further review.
A large group of parents, students and medical experts urged the Beverly Hills Unified School District to limit classroom screen time for young children and to review the use of “game‑style” learning programs. The board agreed to delay final approval of a districtwide list of educational technology tools and return with additional detail.
Students and parents delivered repeated public comment against a proposed change that would increase daily device‑based activities and remove office hours; petitions opposing a high‑school bell schedule change were cited by speakers who said the district was moving major decisions with insufficient student input. Several students told the board the current block schedule supports athletics, CTE and after‑school commitments.
Health professionals warned about risks from early, frequent tablet use. Jane Tavyev Asher, M.D., director of pediatric neurology at Cedars‑Sinai, told the board that handwriting and visual‑motor activities support brain networks tied to reading and that early typing and tablet use can disrupt those developmental pathways. Clinical psychologist Rochelle Hakak and others described behavioral and self‑regulation harms linked to high screen exposure and urged alternatives and opt‑out options for families.
Parents and staff pressed the board for transparency about which apps are used, how long students spend on them, and whether there are parental controls for devices sent home. District staff and trustees said many of the tools on the agenda are teacher‑facing assessment and curriculum platforms (examples cited included iReady, NWEA, code and animation tools) and some licenses are already purchased as multi‑year subscriptions. District staff said they would work with the new director of technology and the principals to produce a clearer plan for device use, filtering and parent opt‑out options.
After extended public comment, the board tabled the technology approvals for two weeks to allow staff to return with categorized lists (teacher tools vs. student-facing apps), costs, which grade levels use each product, and any urgent items that require immediate renewal. Trustees said the pause is intended to provide time for a fuller report on usage, safeguards and instructional rationale.
Ending: The board asked staff to return at the next meeting with a refined, graded list of requested educational technology tools, usage data and recommended guardrails for young grades and parental opt‑outs.
