As former state superintendents, we agree that these are critical lines of inquiry and discussion. We also agree that students should be more engaged in reading books, playing outside, having face-to-face conversations with peers and adults, and being taught using both high-quality instructional materials and evidence-based classroom practices.
Let us be clear: We think states have been very wise to ban or restrict students’ use of personal cellphones in schools. However, this national conversation should not conflate two very different things — the personal devices that distract students and the educational technology that can improve learning and prepare students for the workforce of tomorrow. We need a balanced conversation that protects kids without throwing away tools that help them learn. We must take care to not pull up the flowers when plucking the weeds.
We are noticing a concerning trend of coupling the concerns of misuse and overuse of technology with the proposed solution of removing all digital tools from classrooms in an effort to restrict screen time. While well-intentioned, this reaction risks creating a false choice between student safety and student preparation. We must ensure that in our rush to minimize distractions, we do not inadvertently strip our schools of the resources needed to prepare learners for the modern world.
DISTINGUISHING DISTRACTION FROM INSTRUCTION
Schools are a unique environment when it comes to the screen time conversation. A central point made by a coalition of education groups to the Senate committee is worth repeating — classroom technology, when curated, supervised and standards-aligned, serves different ends than unsupervised entertainment.
There is a distinct difference between a student scrolling through social media on a personal phone and a student using a digital tool to engage with complex materials. We must support leaders who implement “bell-to-bell” restrictions on personal devices to curb anxiety and disruptions to learning. However, those policies should not bleed into the ed-tech budgets and instructional strategies that deepen understanding.
Digital tools allow kids to quickly access information, make predictions and engage in calculations and probability exercises that static paper cannot support. ... Opportunity gaps grow when schools are asked to operate without the tools of the world students are preparing to enter.
Schools use devices to differentiate instruction, support students with disabilities and administer assessments. Digital tools allow kids to quickly access information, make predictions and engage in calculations and probability exercises that static paper cannot support. These are the technology skills employers now expect. Opportunity gaps grow when schools are asked to operate without the tools of the world students are preparing to enter.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES IN ACTION
We have seen firsthand how intentional technology use drives learning. In Virginia, the Board of Education adopted the Digital Learning Integration Standards of Learning to help educators use digital tools to teach core content, rather than treating screens as ends in themselves. Those standards were built to steer classroom practice toward specified learning goals.
Similarly, in Utah, the Digital Teaching and Learning Grant has long invested in district capacity and coaching to ensure technology deepens learning rather than distracting from it. This approach emphasizes instructional strategies that foster conversation and critical thinking. The program’s evaluation work shows how investment and thoughtful rollout matter.
A POLICY MIX FOR SAFETY AND LEARNING
Local educators are experts in their classrooms, but they cannot shoulder design-level accountability for global platforms alone. We need the tech industry to step up with solutions and responsibility that make social media safer and reduce algorithmic harms, so that schools can focus on instruction.
In parallel, lawmakers should pursue layered solutions that include stronger limits on algorithmic amplification for minors and clear data privacy rules. When algorithms steer behavior, it is right to ask the companies that build those systems to answer for them. State and local school boards play a role in ensuring data privacy and student safety are top of mind with all digital tools and platforms. Our educators also need sustained investments in high-quality professional development and instructional technology, so every school can adopt best practices with confidence.
Protecting children online is nonnegotiable, but so is preparing them for a future that demands adaptability and digital literacy. By supporting policies that seek to reduce non-educational distractions while simultaneously investing in the technologies that support learning, we can strike the right balance. Let’s insist on transparency and hold platforms accountable — while keeping classroom doors open to the tools that help students learn. That balanced approach is the best way to keep kids safe and ready for the future.
James Lane is a former state superintendent of public instruction for Virginia and the current chief executive officer of University Instructors LLC, a national organization dedicated to expanding access to high-quality instruction and strengthening educator pipelines for K-12 schools across the U.S.
Sydnee Dickson is a former state superintendent of public instruction for Utah, a current special adviser to the dean at the University of Utah’s College of Education, a member of the Board of Directors for WestEd, and a member of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Board.
