LETTER: Let parents, students ‘opt out’ of Chromebook, iPad use in schools
June 2, 2026To the Community:
I would like to share comments below that I made at the Harwood School Board at its May 26 meeting.
I am a proud father of two Moretown Elementary students, a speech-language pathologist at Harwood Middle and High School, and loosely affiliated with VT-IRL.org (a group dedicated to reducing student reliance on technology).
Speaking from a personal and professional capacity, though not officially sanctioned by the administration, I’d like to plant a seed to give the school board the opportunity to set a precedent for the rest of the state to follow, as Harwood did when it banned cell phones.
Please give parents/caregivers the explicit right to “opt out” of using Chromebooks and iPads in school.
The fact is that while the cell phone ban at Harwood had been largely successful in limiting student distractions of social media and gaming in the classroom and beyond, that void has been filled by excessive access and reliance on Chromebooks. Numerous colleagues have
shared the view that Chromebooks have taken the place of cell phones in terms of classroom distractions. We have essentially given students these technological tools without explicitly teaching them how, when, and where to use them appropriately. To be clear, these tools are useful in education; however, data will show that many students spend far more time on non-academic tasks than on schoolwork.
Mounting evidence suggests technology addiction is real and poses a growing problem. I recently spoke on Vermont Edition about the detrimental impact reliance on Chromebooks has had on student cognitive development, their ability to think critically, engage in perspective taking, and independent problem solving. Students on my caseload with receptive language, social language, and executive functioning deficits are especially at risk. These are not just anecdotal observations, but backed by a wealth of evidence.
This leaves us an option. Whether it is checking a box on student registration forms or respecting parent, student, or teacher requests, let them opt out. In those cases, teachers can provide paper versions of a prescribed task, or students can work together, sharing a screen for group work.
Harwood was a leader in banning cell phones, leading to almost immediate growth before the State Legislature acted. Let Harwood continue to be the leader in setting a standard for letting families, students, and teachers “opt out” of blind reliance on technology.
The Vermont Legislature this session considered two bills: H.650, designed to protect student privacy, and H.830, meant to codify into law the right of parents/caregivers to opt out of technology use. Both bills appear to have stalled in committee and will not pass this biennium.
Links to many resources can be found at VT-IRL.org.
Thank you.
Brian Burgess
Moretown