This petition seeks to advance the case for a voluntary opt-out for families of K-8 students in the Minnetonka School District who wish to forego student-issued iPad use in exchange for traditional learning tools, such as paper textbooks, worksheets, and screen-free instruments and methods. From digital learning to pen and paper.

In the Minnetonka School District, all students in Kindergarten through 12th grade receive a district-issued iPad as part of the District's 1:1 iPad Program. The iPads are a central feature of students' day-to-day work, and are the primary tool through which students conduct the majority of in-school work and homework.

The introduction of iPads into the American educational system was heralded almost universally as not only advantageous, but necessary in order to meet the demands of the 21st century. The results are now in. According to Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, cognitive neuroscientist and author of "The Digital Delusion," Gen Z "is the first generation in modern history to underperform us in basically every cognitive measure we have, from basic attention to literacy, to numeracy, to executive functioning and even general IQ...." Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (the nation's "report card") reveals a downward trajectory since around 2010, which coincides with the widespread use of digital technology in classrooms.

Dr. Horvath observes that “[a] lot of schools have 1-to-1 laptop programs where every kid is given a MacBook.... But we don’t learn well from these things. I mean, we don’t read well off of them. We don’t write well on them. We don’t think deeply when we’re using them."

This petition does not seek to ban iPads across the board. It merely advances the case for a policy of allowing individual student and family iPad opt-out. Please sign the petition if you agree with this proposed policy change.