APS committee advances draft screen‑time policy to full board after debate on limits and equity

The Atlanta Public Schools Policy Review Committee on July 16 voted to move a draft Instructional Resources policy — commonly described in the meeting as the district’s "screen time" policy — to the full board for first reading after a lengthy committee discussion about age‑band limits, equity and how the district will implement the rules.

Carolyn Barnett, the committee’s policy presenter, walked members through proposed edits to Policy IF, including language adding the SAMR (substitution, augmentation, modification, redefinition) framework, grade‑band guidance and a grid of technology‑use expectations. The draft text the committee reviewed would limit purposeful instructional device use to about 60 minutes per day for pre‑K through grade 2 and longer allowances for older grades; it also recommends chunking screen time so students in kindergarten through grade 5 have no more than 30 consecutive minutes without a break and includes exceptions for technology‑based courses.

Board members pressed for clearer guardrails on several fronts. Board member Mitchell urged tighter limits for pre‑K through grade 2 and floated options such as a 30‑minute daily cap or 15‑minute session maximums. Board member Brock raised equity concerns about an opt‑in approach for devices going home, asking whether families with limited time or access could be left behind if the district requires parents to complete opt‑in forms. Several board members said opt‑out language — giving all students access unless families decline — would better serve equity.

Dr. Johnson, responding for the administration, described the committee’s intent to treat the first year of the policy as a pilot: ‘‘This is year 1,’’ Johnson said, and the administration expects hiccups and mid‑year check‑ins. Johnson advised caution about building heavy monitoring systems immediately, emphasizing a focus on instructional quality rather than a surveillance model of minute‑by‑minute enforcement. He recommended surveys and periodic reviews to gauge effects and adjust the plan.

Committee members discussed implementation details that will need attention before the board’s final consideration: teacher and principal training, how to define and measure ‘‘high value’’ versus ‘‘low value’’ screen use, exceptions for innovation labs or coding classes that legitimately require devices, and whether physical textbooks will be reintroduced or used alongside digital materials. Members also suggested a public dashboard and quarterly audits as possible accountability tools, while others cautioned the district may not have the data tools available immediately and should phase in more stringent targets.

Public commenters at the end of the meeting reinforced calls for clearer limits and transparency. Kita Jonikou, a parent, asked what research APS used to set a 60‑minute limit for the youngest students and requested the policy explicitly name whether platforms such as YouTube, Netflix or Minecraft are permitted in classrooms. MK Wood, a kindergarten teacher, recommended 30 minutes for the youngest grades, said the opt‑in/opt‑out wording on school forms is confusing, and asked for a designated school representative to gather teacher feedback during the pilot.

The committee voted to move Policy IF to the full board for first reading at the board’s August meeting; members asked that the full board discussion include teacher and administrator voices, and that the administration prepare regulatory language and implementation details for further review. The committee framed the first year as a pilot and scheduled mid‑year checkpoints and surveys to inform any recalibration.

Next steps: Policy IF will appear before the full Atlanta Public Schools Board for first reading at the August board meeting; the committee asked staff to return with refined guideline language (including suggested asterisks for tech‑based classes), clarifications on opt‑in/opt‑out procedures, and proposals for outreach and measurement tools.