Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Instructional Technology topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Suffolk board orders staff presentation after wide debate on Chromebooks in K–2 classrooms
Summary
Following public comment and research cited by board members, the Suffolk School Board asked staff for a presentation on how Chromebooks are used in early elementary grades and agreed to collect board questions in advance for the April meeting.
The Suffolk School Board agreed to request a staff presentation and further community engagement after an extended discussion about Chromebook use in early elementary grades (pre‑K through grade 2).
Board member Slinglove opened the discussion by summarizing research that she said links early and excessive screen time to literacy, attention and motor‑skill concerns, and urged the board to evaluate whether one‑to‑one device access is appropriate in K–2. "Children's reliance on screens has raised serious public health issues," Slinglove said, and she requested a formal presentation on instructional use and implementation.
Public commenter Jennifer Willman, who signed up to speak on 'community feedback and Chromebooks,' asked the board to consider pulling back device use for K–2 and to adopt a policy limiting classroom screen time. "I propose limiting screen use in our classrooms, especially in K through 2 classes," she said.
Superintendent Dr. Gordon and several board members described the district’s instructional safeguards. Dr. Gordon said the district already limits exposure in early grades, uses Chromebooks primarily for targeted remediation and enrichment, and can monitor screen time for individual students. "If we were to remove Chromebooks from pre K through 2, this means that we would no longer have our intervention and individualized supports programs," Dr. Gordon said, citing programs such as DreamBox and Lexia that the division uses for differentiated instruction.
Board members emphasized a data‑driven approach. Chair McGee and others requested that the teaching and learning team prepare an instructional‑model presentation for the second board meeting in April, include screen‑time metrics (the technology director can report device usage), and solicit parent feedback via survey targeted to pre‑K through grade‑3 families.
The board did not change classroom device policy at the meeting. Instead it set a process: staff will present the district’s instructional model for Chromebooks, provide screen‑time reporting and replacement‑cycle cost data, and accept board questions in advance so the presentation can address specific concerns.
The action preserves the current hybrid instructional approach (paper‑based and digital), while committing the district to transparent reporting and a community engagement process before any policy change.
