More than a dozen parents told District 181 leaders they want iPads kept at school or out of their children's hands entirely.
The parents addressed the Community Consolidated School District 181 Board of Education at a board meeting, first reported by The Hinsdalean. Some said they do not want their kids using the devices at all. In response, administrators outlined a three-step plan to re-evaluate how the district uses technology in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Sara Siedlecki, a mother of a kindergartner and second-grader who lives in the Madison School area, said she and her husband moved to Hinsdale for its schools. Then they learned about the district's one-to-one technology program. Both children now attend a private school in Wheaton.
Siedlecki, who said she and her husband both work in the technology industry and previously worked in Silicon Valley, told the board she is not asking the district to abandon technology. She wants an urgent re-evaluation across every grade to address issues parents, teachers and pediatricians are seeing.
"Gamified homework encourages mindless clicking in pursuit of digital rewards, and parents bear the burden of monitoring the misuse of school-issued devices at home," Siedlecki said.
Susie Thorpe, a parent of three and a speech-language pathologist, said she has seen the effect of screen time on children she works with. They have shorter attention spans and struggle to listen without something to look at. Three years ago, she said, she felt lucky to live in a district that could afford a device for every student. She no longer feels that way, she told the board, and asked members to work with parents on a plan to reduce reliance on educational software.
Kathleen Robinson, assistant superintendent of learning, outlined three steps the district plans to take as part of a broader presentation on instructional coherence, The Hinsdalean reported.
The first step: monitor classroom practices and study whether iPads can be stored at schools instead of going home. Robinson noted a practical hurdle, saying classrooms lack the electrical capacity to charge 20 devices at once. For grades two through eight, administrators will work with teachers to ensure what Robinson called "intentional, high-purpose use" of technology.
The second step calls for the district's subject area committees to review digital applications on iPads and Chromebook extensions and remove those not in use.
The third step is to educate parents on how to restrict options and set screen time limits on devices.
District 181 moved to one-to-one technology access in 2016 for third- through eighth-graders. That expanded to include kindergartners through second-graders in 2020 for remote learning during the pandemic.
Superintendent Jim Wipke said the district would address the issue collaboratively, telling the board the district will work through it "together as a D181 family."
Robinson's presentation is available on the board meeting agenda on the District 181 website. The Hinsdalean reported the link will also be included in the district's board summary email.
