The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School administration will be fashioning a rollout plan recommendation for the grades K-4 rollout of iPads in 2-3 weeks. The school board will make the final decision.
A group of HSE parents recently started a petition to delay the iPad rollout, which is scheduled for August of 2016. The organizers say they have 492 names on that petition.
School Superintendent Allen Bourff arranged for Indiana University Professor Dr. Anne Ottenbreit-Leftwich to speak to the board and answer questions. Dr. Leftwich told board members the American Association of Pediatricians (AAP) had a standard of no more than 2 hours of screen time for young children, but has recently “softened” that guideline. AAP is now saying no more than 2 hours of “passive time,” such as watching TV or online videos, but that interactive and educational programs at a computer screen should not be considered the same as “passive” activities and are not subject to that limitation guideline.
Six parents spoke before the board at the Wednesday night session, each asking that the iPad rollout to grades K-4 be delayed. One parent said she was “shocked” when learning of the plan to provide iPads to children in grades K-4. One father of a middle school student said taking home the iPad for homework was creating “home life challenges” in his household.
The board then posed a number of questions to Dr. Leftwich.
“I do think there (are) a lot of positives in the direction we are going,” Board President Karen Harmer said. “But, we certainly heard the concerns tonight, and I know that we’re not bringing a recommendation forward this evening (3.9).”
“We are going to be working on a resolution to this in the short term,” said Dr. Bourff. “In the next 2 weeks, 3 weeks, we will have some processing taking place. We will be bringing a recommendation for how the rollout will be processed. I encourage the parents we have already heard from…I encourage them to watch and monitor us…we may even have some further opportunities to engage with parents who have some concerns.”
Dr. Bourff said the concerns brought forth by parents are “greatly appreciated.”
The board decided 2 years ago on an iPad rollout schedule which called for grades K-4 to begin using the devices in the coming school year, beginning in August, 2016.
Bourff told the board administrators will look back at how the past iPad rollouts have been handled and evaluated by staff and parents. “If there are some adjustments to be made, we’re open to it,” Bourff said.
No board member indicated support for delaying the K-4 iPad rollout.
