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Resident urges Norman schools to curb classroom screen time, citing test-score research
Summary
At a Norman Public Schools board meeting, resident Sabrina Alexander urged the district to reduce daily classroom device use, saying studies link small amounts of screen time to lower reading and math scores and arguing funds should prioritize teachers and books over edtech.
Sabrina Alexander, a Norman resident and regular attendee at board meetings, urged the Norman Public Schools Board of Education to reduce classroom reliance on digital devices, saying research shows even modest daily screen time can harm academic outcomes.
"Edtech prioritizes profits over our children's safety and welfare," Alexander said during public comment, calling technology "a giant experiment" that has, she argued, been ineffective and at times dangerous. She cited PISA survey data from 2012, 2015 and 2018 and said those comparisons showed "the more time students spent on screens at school, the further their scores fell," alleging negative effects from as little as 30 minutes of daily device use.
Alexander asked the board to re-prioritize district spending toward teachers, classroom materials and professional development instead of devices and said she brought copies of Dr. Jared Covert's book The Digital Illusion for board members.
Board members did not respond during the public-comment period; the meeting proceeded to scheduled agenda items. The board's public-comment rules, reiterated at the outset of the meeting, limit each speaker to three minutes and prohibit board members from responding during public communication.
The comment was part of the meeting's public-communication segment and did not result in a board directive or vote during the session.
