San Diego Unified School District leaders have joined a growing nationwide backlash against educational technology in the classroom. District trustees voted unanimously to place new limits on students’ screen use and initiated a longer-term process to strengthen district technology policies.

Concerns Over Erosion of Basic Learning Skills

Parents and researchers are growing increasingly alarmed by what they describe as an erosion in basic learning skills. San Diego Unified’s move coincides with an even stricter policy adopted in Los Angeles Unified schools, which totally banned screens for students in kindergarten and first grade.

The San Diego policy adopted Tuesday doesn’t go as far. It blocks access to gaming and video-streaming on district-issued laptops but defers other actions until later this year, when a committee will begin deliberating a more comprehensive policy.

San Diego Unified Trustee Shana Hazan said the district should take a “slow and thoughtful and methodical” approach to regulating classroom technology. Activists expressed disappointment the district didn’t go farther.

Trustee Richard Barrera stated, “AI is replacing kids’ ability to learn core academic skills. At the end of the day, if all a student knows to do is prompt an AI to write an essay as opposed to actually being able to write an essay, that is a huge threat to a kid’s ability to master academic skills and have success post-graduation.”

Original reporting: Voice of San Diego — read the source article.