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Residents urge curriculum review on technology and call for continued action after antisemitic incidents
Summary
During public comment, residents urged the board to reconsider the role of technology in classrooms and to continue curricular and staff supports following several antisemitic incidents. Parents requested opt‑out options for devices, more teacher training, and sustained attention to Jewish identity in curriculum reviews.
Several members of the Weston public used the board's public comment period to press for policy and curriculum changes.
Michael (Chad) Hepner told the board that digital safety and the role of devices, AI and curriculum are "central educational issues of our age," and urged the district to consider low‑tech classroom options that parents could choose. Reading from an op‑ed he cited, he asked the district to allow parents the option to "opt out" of district‑issued laptops and requested a meeting of concerned parents with administrators and curriculum leaders to craft a district technology philosophy.
Hillary Salton spoke for Mothers in Blue to thank school leaders for their response to a recent anti‑Semitic incident and asked the board to prioritize the district's curriculum review findings. "Your actions made it clear that hate has no place in our schools," she said, and called for continued expansion of the "No Place for Hate" program, curriculum changes to reflect Jewish identity and culture where gaps were found in the seventh‑grade pilot, and more training and resources for teachers handling difficult conversations.
Other speakers, including Patrice Ocawy, urged continuity in subcommittee leadership — particularly retention of experienced chairs for the curriculum committee — to ensure ongoing work is able to proceed without loss of institutional knowledge.
Board members acknowledged the comments, thanked speakers for raising concerns and said they would keep the curriculum review and related supports on the committee's priority list as part of next steps.
