Parents and PTA groups urge BCPS to curb classroom screen time and preserve Carver's film pathway

Parents, students and community groups pressed Baltimore County Public Schools on Wednesday to limit daily classroom screen use and to save a threatened film pathway at Carver Center.

Amanda Garrett, co-lead of the Baltimore County chapter of Schools Beyond Screens, told the board the group wants “immediate steps to reduce classroom screen use and adopt a far more evidence-based approach to educational technology.” Her requests included eliminating classroom screen use in kindergarten through second grade, phasing out 1:1 Chromebooks in elementary and middle schools, returning to shared laptop carts for limited instruction, and prioritizing teacher-led, paper-based instruction over programs that replace direct teaching.

Student and parent speakers framed the issue as both academic and programmatic. Isabel Ordu, a visual arts student at Carver Center, said cutting Carver's film program would affect roughly one-third of the school's student body and requested that the board keep the film pathway with at least a part-time instructor. "Cutting the film program would therefore affect one-third of the school students," Ordu said.

Ruth DeMeo, a Carver parent, described a survey of nearly 60 respondents and urged the board to secure “one part-time certified art teacher, perhaps from the preferred transfer list, to maintain meaningful access to film coursework at Carver.” She said eliminating the pathway would remove opportunities for transferable skills such as editing, sound design and project management.

Board members listened but did not make immediate changes. The remarks came during the public-comment portion of the meeting and were recorded for board consideration as officials continue budget and staffing discussions.

The public speakers tied the technology concerns to broader debates about research and equity. Garrett cited studies showing more device use in language-arts instruction has been associated with worse reading performance for certain grades and warned against ed-tech that collects large amounts of student data without clear learning benefits. Several speakers asked for clearer transparency about when and why screens are used and for parental opt-out options without academic penalty.

Chair Lictor and district staff acknowledged the comments; the board did not vote on any policy changes Wednesday. The comments are part of a broader community discussion the district says it will consider while it finalizes programs and staffing for next school year.