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Parents urge the board to limit AI, seek district‑wide ed‑tech audit
Summary
Parents and community advocates called for caution on AI and broad ed‑tech use in Madison classrooms, urged an audit of platforms and asked to participate in a district committee to craft policy; the speakers cited developmental concerns and reported instances of students using AI to bypass learning.
Multiple parents asked the board to regulate the district’s use of artificial intelligence and other classroom technology and offered to partner in policy development.
"Tech companies really want us to believe that the next essential educational tool is AI, but it's unregulated, developmentally mismatched for many students, and it can undermine learning when it replaces thinking," Laura Venuto, a Madison parent and clinical psychologist, told the board. She asked the district to identify what AI programs are approved for use and at what grade levels and urged parental participation in committee work.
Lindsay Dubman, a founding member of Dodgers Delay, asked the board to perform an ed‑tech audit: "How many online programs and platforms are the children exposed to on a daily basis?" She listed a range of platforms her children encounter and urged more investment in curriculum and personnel rather than devices.
Dodgers Delay co‑founder Heidi Muzafuri noted the state phone ban for K–2 and framed the group's work as a resource for the district as it crafts local policy.
Why it matters: Community members asked for clarity on what AI tools are authorized, whether the district maintains central oversight of devices and software, and how screen time and online exposures are monitored. They raised concerns about learning loss if students use AI to generate answers without teacher mediation.
What’s next: Parents requested that administration share a clear district policy and either include parents on a planned AI committee or otherwise engage the community; the meeting record shows administration acknowledged awareness of the issue and said policy discussion is planned.
