Tools for Parents

As school districts across the United States have adopted edtech, a movement to reduce its overuse has emerged. This section of the Kit covers ongoing parent organizing activities around the country and resources created by those groups.

In most cases, the first thing for concerned parents to do is to set up a meeting with school or district administrators to ask questions about edtech  policies and practices in their kids’ classrooms. Once you’ve done that, start contacting other parents to ask for their support – a group of parents is more powerful than an individual.

The documents below offer background information on edtech that you can distribute to other parents or school administrators, templates to adapt for your own use, and more. This section has three subsections: What Parents Should Know about Edtech, Tools for Local Action, and Edtech Fact Sheets.

What Parents Should Know about Edtech

Get the information that every parent needs to know about edtech in their children’s schools. Learn about screen safety, the questions you should ask, and what privacy protections there are for students.

Tools for Local Action

Here you’ll find guidelines for action, templates for petitions and letters, and other adaptable documents that you can use and revise for yourself. Many of these resources have been adapted from materials used by parent activists across the country.

Edtech Fact Sheets

These handouts helpfully summarize the latest research on screen time and edtech, and are especially useful to distribute to fellow parents or at PTA or school board meetings.

To download a printable version of this section, click here.