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Parents urge moratorium on student use of generative AI and removal of devices in early grades
Summary
Multiple parents and advisory-committee representatives told the board to preserve current AI restrictions, study educational effects before widening access, and eliminate widespread iPad deployment in kindergarten–grade 2; speakers asked for stronger filters or a whitelist and more transparency about EdTech costs.
During the community participation portion of the meeting several speakers urged stricter controls on educational technology and generative AI.
A representative of the Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee asked the board to reinstate a "Young Scholars" grant and restore equity and cultural responsiveness staffing positions that were reduced due to grant insecurity. Multiple parents then addressed AI policy: Panos Khadziganis, a parent with a Ph.D. in computer science, asked the board to preserve current restrictions and to avoid hard grade cutoffs that would implicitly endorse AI use for older students without evidence of educational benefit. Hannah Dubrow Gray and other parents urged a moratorium on student use of generative AI until a formal policy and evidence of benefit are in place; Gray also supported an effort to remove devices from kindergarten–grade 2 and to audit current technology implementations for proven outcomes.
Other commenters criticized district use of Google Chromebooks in light of litigation alleging harms by Google products and asked about IT safeguards and cost transparency. Video testimonies from parents described home‑school technology gaps and asked the board to provide printed textbooks and stronger teacher support to use less technology without increasing teacher workload.
Board members acknowledged the concerns and referenced motions on the agenda that would inventory generative AI tools and pause student access until policy is adopted. Staff said IT has blocked most generative AI tools to date but that district staff will return with policy recommendations and options such as whitelists, filters and teacher/parent input mechanisms.
