Anonymous
Post 03/13/2026 14:34     Subject: Opting Out of Screens
Anonymous wrote:If you want a quality education, unfortunately you have to pay for private.


Correction: a private that doesn’t utilize screens for teaching. Many do, unfortunately.
Anonymous
Post 03/13/2026 13:37     Subject: Opting Out of Screens
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I absolutely would opt out, but that'd definitely not an option in my DCPS elementary school. There's a smart board in every classroom.


The smart boards drive me crazy too. The teacher uses it to control the classroom, any time the class is acting up she turns on a video. On the first day of K my dc watched Tom and Jerry on the smart board. Why???


Yep. K Teacher will play Magic School Bus or whatever during snack so the kids don’t talk. Insanity.
Anonymous
Post 03/13/2026 13:20     Subject: Opting Out of Screens
Anonymous wrote:I absolutely would opt out, but that'd definitely not an option in my DCPS elementary school. There's a smart board in every classroom.


The smart boards drive me crazy too. The teacher uses it to control the classroom, any time the class is acting up she turns on a video. On the first day of K my dc watched Tom and Jerry on the smart board. Why???
Anonymous
Post 03/13/2026 13:07     Subject: Opting Out of Screens
Our school went full paperless 2 years ago with no opt out for screens, I immediately pulled him out and started homeschooling.
Anonymous
Post 03/13/2026 12:18     Subject: Opting Out of Screens
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our highly regarded elementary school handed kindergarteners iPads on day 1. We could not opt out, despite my objections. They are on those devices far too much for my liking.

For second grade, we switched to a private that does not do screens until 3rd grade. Now in 3rd grade, and screen use is still kept to a minimum. it is used for technology class once a week, for typing, and other occasional uses. They do nearly all their work on paper, and daily independent reading time must be done with an actual printed book.


That sounds great. Do you mind sharing what kind of private school? Montessori, LDS, Catholic, etc.


An independent Episcopal school, not in the DC area.
Anonymous
Post 03/13/2026 11:04     Subject: Opting Out of Screens
Anonymous wrote:If you want a quality education, unfortunately you have to pay for private.


Not true. There’s bad schools in both. There’s quality at both.
Anonymous
Post 03/13/2026 10:32     Subject: Opting Out of Screens
Anonymous wrote:Our highly regarded elementary school handed kindergarteners iPads on day 1. We could not opt out, despite my objections. They are on those devices far too much for my liking.

For second grade, we switched to a private that does not do screens until 3rd grade. Now in 3rd grade, and screen use is still kept to a minimum. it is used for technology class once a week, for typing, and other occasional uses. They do nearly all their work on paper, and daily independent reading time must be done with an actual printed book.


This is basically universal. The real question, IMHO, is what are they doing on their iPads and for how long.

20 mins a day of some reading app? Okay, whatever. YouTube or multiple hours? I'd be pissed.
Anonymous
Post 03/13/2026 10:31     Subject: Opting Out of Screens
I absolutely would opt out, but that'd definitely not an option in my DCPS elementary school. There's a smart board in every classroom.
Anonymous
Post 03/13/2026 10:16     Subject: Opting Out of Screens
Anonymous wrote:Our highly regarded elementary school handed kindergarteners iPads on day 1. We could not opt out, despite my objections. They are on those devices far too much for my liking.

For second grade, we switched to a private that does not do screens until 3rd grade. Now in 3rd grade, and screen use is still kept to a minimum. it is used for technology class once a week, for typing, and other occasional uses. They do nearly all their work on paper, and daily independent reading time must be done with an actual printed book.


That sounds great. Do you mind sharing what kind of private school? Montessori, LDS, Catholic, etc.
Anonymous
Post 03/13/2026 10:16     Subject: Re:Opting Out of Screens
We can opt out of screens? Ive never heard of that. My public does 1-to-1 beginning in K and so do most of the private schools, with the exception of religious privates.
Anonymous
Post 03/13/2026 09:53     Subject: Opting Out of Screens
Our highly regarded elementary school handed kindergarteners iPads on day 1. We could not opt out, despite my objections. They are on those devices far too much for my liking.

For second grade, we switched to a private that does not do screens until 3rd grade. Now in 3rd grade, and screen use is still kept to a minimum. it is used for technology class once a week, for typing, and other occasional uses. They do nearly all their work on paper, and daily independent reading time must be done with an actual printed book.
Anonymous
Post 03/13/2026 09:51     Subject: Opting Out of Screens
Anonymous wrote:If you want a quality education, unfortunately you have to pay for private.


It probably depends, but from what I saw when I looked, private didn't seem to mean screen free.
Anonymous
Post 03/13/2026 09:48     Subject: Opting Out of Screens
Anonymous wrote:If you want a quality education, unfortunately you have to pay for private.


While that may be true, the vast majority of kids do not attend privates, and studies have shown screen time more adversely affects lower-income students, so this should be something that is universal.
Anonymous
Post 03/13/2026 09:39     Subject: Opting Out of Screens
If you want a quality education, unfortunately you have to pay for private.
Anonymous
Post 03/13/2026 09:29     Subject: Opting Out of Screens
Does your school permit parents to opt out of screen use or provide a screen-free classroom? If so, do you opt out? Or if they don't, would you opt out if given a choice?