What are kids doing on their screens at school?

Learn More about Opting Out

While we wait for the district to change, what can we do now?

We are happy to report over 800 supporters signed the Petition for Intentional EdTech Limits in Seattle Public Schools, which was shared with Superintendent Shuldiner and board members at the April 22 SPS board meeting.

Next up for SFIT is organizing and supporting families looking for more immediate action for their students (i.e. opting out of 1:1 devices for next year). Both Hilary and I have worked with our students' teachers to support alternative activities in the classroom during tablet time and have had positive experiences. Our teachers have been supportive and collaborative. We know everyone will have different experiences and potentially bumpier roads, but opting out is doable depending on your kid and your kid's teacher. This also looks different in middle and high school, but we have team members doing it.

Collective Action: School Communities

We want to support you because we know it is easier to do when you don't feel alone. So, we've created a survey to collect basic data like your kid's school and grade, along with your contact information. We will then collate the data and connect you with other families in the same school so you can share ideas and knowledge based in your school communityto approach this collaboratively. Even if you're not ready to take the opt-out step, we still invite you to participate and connect with other parents from your school who are thinking about these questions.

To participate, fill out this Opt-Out Survey.

Free Webinar: Opting Out of EdTech

To better understand what opting out entails, join Emily Cherkin on Tuesday, April 28 at 5pm. Learn more and register here.

Again, this is not about no tech. This is about being a part of discerning what actually serves our kids’ education and decreasing the risk of harms.

Visit our resources page for more information, templates, and stories.