As students return to school, Kansas educators will examine the amount of screen time in the classroom and beyond.
The Kansas State Department of Education announced membership in a high-level task force on Tuesday following a request from the Kansas State Board of Education last month.
“One of the hardest things about this is going to be that technology is permeating every corner of our lives, and so some of us have to really focus on which areas we focus on,” said Jake Steel, an official with the Kansas State Department of Education.
Steel said the conversation will focus on three main areas: personal devices in school, devices in the school district and parental supervision, and screen time and mental health.
“It will take a concerted effort to reduce the amount of time our children spend on their own devices during class time,” Melanie Haas, chair of the state panel, said in a statement in July. “We as parents and elected officials must help our children use technology and social media in safer and more useful ways.”
The task force will present recommendations by the end of the semester
The task force will begin its remote meetings later this month and then meet once a week until mid-November.
The task force’s recommendations are intended to provide a framework for a state policy or guidance for school districts to address students’ non-academic use of cell phones during class time.
Education Commissioner Randy Watson has said he expects a recommendation to the State Board by November or December. The department expects the recommendations to “form the framework for a State Board policy or guidelines for school districts.”
“Not only do we need to address how our children are using their digital devices in the classroom for non-academic purposes,” Watson said in a statement last month, “but we also need to take a close look at the impact of social media on children’s mental health, especially in light of the recent recommendation from the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.”
More: US Surgeon General calls for warnings on social media amid mental health ‘emergency’
The Kansas Legislature has considered intervening
Earlier this year, lawmakers considered a bill that would prohibit students from using cell phones during school hours. Bill 2641 was heard in the House Education Committee but failed to advance.
The bill had several supporters, but it also faced opposition from the state Board of Education, the Kansas Association of School Boards and the Kansas National Education Association, all of which argued that regulations on electronic devices should be left to local control.
The task force includes two lawmakers, including the sponsor of HB 2641.
Who is on the task force?
The task force has 36 members.
The task force has five superintendents:
- Travis Githens from Cherryvale.
- Brian Huff by Gardner Edgerton.
- Brad Kempf of Jefferson County North.
- Troy Pitsch from Wabaunsee.
- Tonya Merrigan of Blue Valley.
The task force consists of five main people:
- Eric Hofer Holderman of Wichita.
- Brian Houghton of Fredonia.
- Kathleen Brennan of Geary County.
- John Niehues of Greeley County.
- Kamiel Evans from Wichita.
The task force consists of five teachers:
- Tawna Hall from Derby.
- Jose Martinez from Wichita.
- Carol Budde from Newton.
- Anna Luke from Beloit.
- Connie Martin of Shawnee Mission South.
The task force consists of five students:
- Jessica Claire of Leavenworth.
- Ananya Agrawal from Blue Valley West.
- Ava Gustin from Mission Valley.
- Lane Lamping from Basehor-Linwood.
- Alexa Hernandez of Dodge City.
The task force has five parents:
- Amy Warren from Wichita.
- Kim Whitman of Shawnee Mission.
- Erika Sheets from Blue Valley.
- Korin Poppe of Republic County.
- Lori Barnes of Arkansas City.
The task force consists of five members of the local school board:
- Sue Bolley of Topeka Public Schools.
- Jackie Gigot from Garden City.
- Katie Allen from Manhattan-Ogden.
- Laura Corey from Hutchinson.
- Trisha Moritz from Attica.
The task force consists of two IT employees:
- Travis True of Topeka Public Schools.
- Lyndsay Noble from Rockhurst University.
The task lies with two legislators:
- Rep. Scott Hill, R-Abilene.
- Sen. Chase Blasi, R-Wichita.
The task force has two state board members:
- Melanie Haas, D-Overland Park.
- Danny Zeck, Republican from Leavenworth.
Jason Alatidd is a statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at [email protected]. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.
