Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Technology Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Chappaqua board opens formal review of classroom technology after parent forum
Summary
Following a parent 'technology town' meeting, the Chappaqua Central School District board agreed to gather community input and define a district technology philosophy before changing classroom device use. Administration said a survey and structured fellowship will inform guidance for teachers.
The Chappaqua Central School District board on May 20 agreed to begin a formal review of the district’s use of classroom technology after parents raised concerns at an elementary “technology town” meeting.
Parent (speaker 12) said the meeting, held at 9 a.m., drew about 40 parents and surfaced questions about whether instructional technology improves learning and how device use affects students’ social skills. "I heard parents share mostly concerns," the parent said.
Board members framed the effort as consultative and deliberate. Committee member (speaker 6) said the district should use technology “as a supplemental tool inside of the classrooms” and avoid device use during recess or lunch. "We have to figure out how we use technology in an intentional way," Committee member (speaker 12) added, urging the board to define a clear technology philosophy and operational guidance for teachers.
Dr. Ackerman, superintendent, told the board administrators acknowledged the concerns and proposed a multi-step process. She said the district will collect input from parents and students via a forthcoming survey and review classroom practice and research before making policy changes. "We're going to collect information from parents. We're going to collect information from kids... and then we grapple with our research," she said.
Board members emphasized the district should not rush to a single prescriptive rule. Instead, they asked staff to develop parameters—what technology use should look like and how to operationalize it for faculty—so that teachers retain some instructional agency while following district norms. The board asked staff to convene the planned fellowship and return recommendations on community sentiment, a proposed technology philosophy, and practical next steps for implementation.
The discussion closed with the board directing administration to distribute a community survey and to use committee and fellowship input to draft recommendations for future board consideration.
