Will present a “letter of concern” signed by 135 people to the school board on Tuesday evening
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — On behalf of 135 local pediatricians, child psychiatrists, child psychologists, therapists, social workers, counselors and psychotherapists, a representative of the health community will deliver a letter to the Bend-La Pine School Board Tuesday night outlining concerns about technology use (iPads and phones) in Bend-La Pine schools.
The letter, signed by the 135 vendors, includes recommendations for technology policy reforms and an offer to work with the district to establish best practice technology policies for students’ mental and physical health as well as their academic success.
The letter will be presented for public comment at the BLP school board meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the BLP Education Center at 520 NW Wall Street in Bend, the group told Well Wired in a press release Friday, which continues in full below:
Local pediatrician Dr. Kate Broadman has enlisted the support of 135 (and counting) health care providers, all of whom are expressing concern about the use of iPads and phones in Bend-La Pine schools, including the impact of this addictive technology on the behavior, mood, attention, academic performance, and mental and physical health of the children they see in their practices.
They also emphasize the urgent need for a change in technology policy at Bend-La Pine Schools, amplifying a growing call for action in the community. The letter follows efforts by local healthy technology advocacy group Well Wired on the issue, including their parent survey with nearly 1,000 respondents, a presentation to the BLP superintendent, and public comments to the school board in May.
Well Wired is a healthy technology advocacy group and family community in Central Oregon. The group was founded in the fall of 2023 by Ami Formica and Brooke Mues, two local parents with backgrounds and careers in education, consulting, psychology, marketing, and business.
On June 18, Well Wired will also attend the school board meeting to provide public comment. They encourage parents, caregivers, and educators to join them in sharing their concerns and stories about students’ distracting and problematic use of technology at school – including kids playing video games; kids watching sports and movies; kids viewing pornography, even as young as elementary school; kids filming fights; and kids being cyberbullied – all of which occurs on school-issued iPads and on students’ phones, on school property, and during class.
“Reliance on iPads for reading, math and other classroom subjects hinders the development of important skills such as handwriting, creativity, critical thinking and interpersonal relationships,” the group explains.
Additionally, it claims that studies show the iPad curriculum is not effective, and that the district has failed to demonstrate that it improves test scores in Bend-La Pine schools. Finally, Well Wired says that current research provides clear evidence that addictive technology use increases the likelihood of poor mental health outcomes. According to Mental Health America, Oregon ranked 50th out of 50 states in youth mental health in 2023.
“Children spend too much time on screens at home and at school and too little time meeting in person with friends, playing outside, and having personal experiences that would help them develop into thriving, healthy adults,” the organization’s press release said.
“Bend-La Pine schools must recognize that addictive technology contributes to the mental health crisis among youth and consider how teaching with addictive technology contributes to unfocused and superficial learning. Schools have a duty to protect, support and provide a better education for our children.”
Well Wired, Dr. Kate Broadman and their community of health care providers are requesting collaboration and consultation with the district on technology policy reform to improve the physical and mental well-being of children in Bend-La Pine schools. Below is a list of some of the proposed and recommended technology policies:
- Remove iPads from the youngest elementary school classes;
- Set age-appropriate screen time limits for students during the school day.
- Remove YouTube and other addictive, game-like programs from school iPads.
- Give preference to learning with pencil and paper whenever possible.
- Use iPads only when they significantly increase the intensity of learning or when they teach a skill that cannot be taught effectively in any other way (such as programming), and keep them out of reach of student desks when not in use.
- Create and enforce stricter policies on phone use in schools. Ideally, implement a district-wide “phone-free schools” program, as many other districts across the country have done.
Since launching in fall 2023, Well Wired has built a database of more than 500 concerned parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals in Central Oregon; more than 600 people have signed up for the five “Healthy Tech Talks” hosted by elementary school parent associations; 1,000 BLP parents have been surveyed (93% of whom want cell phones kept out of the classroom); Well Wired has presented its work to Bend-La Pine School District Superintendent Cook and Assistant Superintendent Nordquist and their technical leadership team; and the company is supporting Oregon House Representative Emerson Levy on a potential cell phone-free schools bill, including a presentation to the House Education Committee at a recent informational hearing.
