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Richardson ISD leaders tighten screen-time guardrails, stress purposeful classroom use
Summary
District instructional-technology staff showed trustees classroom examples and proposed clearer rules for 'productive' versus 'passive' screen time, removing required minutes for adaptive platforms and extending YouTube restrictions into secondary grades.
Richardson ISD officials on May 14 outlined a refreshed approach to classroom technology that emphasizes purpose over minutes and clarifies what counts as productive screen time.
Superintendent (presenter introduced in the meeting as "Ms. Bridal") and the instructional-technology team said the district will publish a revised "Facilitating Learning with Technology" handbook this summer and reinforce grade-band expectations tied to the Texas Technology Applications TEKS. Robin Gunner, executive director of instructional technology, summarized the guiding principle: "The goal is to learn with technology, not from it." The team said the handbook and supporting materials will be posted before the 2026–27 school year.
Presenters described two categories of screen time. Productive use — creation, collaboration, recording learning artifacts — was shown in a demonstration; passive use includes watching videos or other consumption. Morgan Cave, director of instructional technology, said research calls for evaluating technology by its instructional purpose and context rather than total minutes.
The district announced several policy clarifications for next year: it will eliminate district-required weekly minutes for adaptive instructional tools (such as the previously required iReady minutes), expand YouTube restrictions beyond elementary grades, and prohibit using district devices as behavior incentives or for unstructured indoor recess. Administrators said campuses will monitor implementation through training, coaching and regular principal walkthroughs. Teachers will also be expected to communicate explicitly with parents about how technology is used in each classroom.
Board members praised the emphasis on teacher accountability and parent communication, while asking for specifics on benchmarks and support for substitute teachers. Officials said long-term substitutes receive district training and that day-to-day substitutes should default to paper-and-pencil or hands-on lessons if they are not comfortable with classroom tech tools.
