Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is pulling back on classroom screen time and blocking more apps and AI tools. SPS Superintendent Ben Shuldiner said the district is fixing a problem that started during the pandemic.
“I think what happened is during COVID, we just said, ‘Hey, everybody, take a laptop,’ and then we kind of stopped to really control what was going on and what kids had access to,” Shuldiner said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “And now we’re kind of suffering the consequences of that.”
The district announced the changes at a special board meeting Wednesday. Parents rallied outside district headquarters, calling for a pause on AI in classrooms.
No more laptop for every student
Kindergarten through second-grade students already no longer get their own devices, and their technology use is limited to 30 minutes a day. Starting in January 2027, the same approach expands to grades 3-5, with a limit of 60 minutes a day. District and state tests don’t count toward the limits…