Parents in the Cupertino Union School District (CUSD) in Cupertino, California are petitioning to restrict how iPads are used for the physical and mental health benefit of their children. Cupertino is the home to the headquarters of iPad’s creator, Apple.

The petition appears to be in direct response to a 1:1 iPad initiative implemented in CUSD’s middle schools.

According to the petition, parents are concerned that their child’s possession of an iPad will result in "early addiction to games/social media," health issues such as eye problems due to excessive screen viewing and an overall distraction to learning resulting in stunted academic achievement.

Further, because several schools within the district have required parents to front the bill for the devices, the petitioners are concerned about the financial risk "due to lost, stolen, broken iPads" and the creation of a "[c]onstant power struggle over iPad use at home."

In order to address these concerns, 678 CUSD parents have signed a petition on Change.org to ask CUSD officials to restrict iPad use to the classroom, to assume all liability for lost, broken or stolen devices and to provide all devices regardless of family financial status.

In the long-term, the parents ask CUSD officials to take more time to find evidence-based policies that prove iPads are the best choice to supplement classroom learning. Further, they ask for the district to consider the health effects related to excessive tech use via iPads and ask for greater involvement in future decision-making.

The petition refers to the infamous failure of the Los Angeles Unified School District to roll-out its $1 billion initiative to provide all of the district's students with iPads. The initiative was canceled during its pilot phase after a combination of poor planning and students figuring out how to bypass security features to use iPads for personal use even during school hours.

"If LAUSD could retract their 1:1 iPad program after extensive protests from parents, so can CUSD. Let us be heard!" wrote one commenter on the petition.

"I oppose the iPad program because it creates unnecessary obstacles for our K-8 kids in their learning process," wrote another.

Read more about Cupertino Unified School District’s parents’ concerns here.

Related Readings:

• Apple CEO Says Test Scores, Attendance Rates Up After iPad Donations
• Organization Reconsiders Guidelines on the Appropriate Amount of Screen Time for Learners
• Apple's CEO Talks Changing the Classroom with Tech
• Chromebooks' Influence is Rapidly Increasing in K-12 Education

Nicole Gorman, Senior Education World Contributor

12/13/2016