NORWALK, Conn. — The Board of Education plans to set daily limits on classroom screen time that change by grade level, Board Chair Howard White said Tuesday night.
White said the district will write a technology rule over the coming months. It would set clear screen time limits for each grade. It would also require teachers to direct all student computer use for specific lessons. The district would block social media, non-educational games, and unapproved AI tools.
“This is not about eliminating technology altogether,” White said. “It’s about using it thoughtfully.”
Proposed screen-time limits
Students in kindergarten through second grade will no longer have their own assigned Chromebooks. Schools will use shared classroom devices instead.
YouTube and other video sites will stay blocked for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Middle and high schools will keep enforcing limits on personal cell phones during the school day.
Faioes said the district shut off YouTube for all students Monday. Teachers were told ahead of time.
Screen-free recess
The board approved Policy 5016, which adds a screen-free expectation for recess. Students will still get 20 minutes of recess, but students may not use screens during recess, even when they have to stay inside.
Interim Superintendent Sandra Faioes said state law protects recess time. Schools must give students at least 20 minutes of what the law calls unstructured play time, she said. Some schools give more.
A board member asked whether bad weather ever cancels recess. Faioes said bad weather can move recess indoors, but it does not cancel it. Families had asked that students not be on devices during indoor recess, she said.
Schools have been trained on other ways to fill that time, Faioes said. Students can play games with each other. A teacher may use a big classroom monitor to lead an activity, but students will not use their own screens.
Board Secretary Ashley Gulyas said even big screens should be used only in extreme cases, such as many rainy or snowy days in a row. Board members said administrators must approve any screen use during recess.
“The new piece is the screen-free aspect of it,” Gulyas said.
White also said computers should help teachers lead lessons and help with research and creative projects. They should not be used to watch videos or pass the time, he said. Students need a healthy balance, White said. That includes books, conversation, movement, and hands-on learning.
What’s next?
The district is looking at online dashboards that would show families and staff how much screen time students get.
Staff will get training Nov. 3. A community forum on technology and AI is set for 6 p.m. Nov. 10 in the City Hall community room. White and Ralph Valenzisi, the assistant superintendent of digital learning and innovation, will host.
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