NY teachers union screen-time limits

New York State United Teachers, the state’s largest teachers union, said on May 31 that its board of directors had passed a resolution calling for new limits on classroom screen time and student-facing artificial intelligence. The proposal targets the youngest students most directly, including a ban on one-to-one device use in prekindergarten through second grade except for documented needs such as translation or special education services. It also says any AI use by students in any grade should be supervised and educator-led. Spectrum News reported the push on June 2 as New York schools finish their first year under the state’s bell-to-bell cellphone restrictions. ### What exactly did the union vote to limit? NYSUT said its 82-member board approved a resolution that calls for “developmentally appropriate limits” on both screen time and AI in schools. The measure says there should be no one-to-one screen or device use, including online assessments, for students in pre-K through second grade except where documented needs require it. It also calls for paper-and-pencil testing options for all students. (nysut.org) The same resolution says there should be no student-facing AI for pre-K through second grade students and no non-educationally based AI for students in grades three through eight. NYSUT also said “social companion” chatbots should not be used by children under 16. ### How would AI still be allowed in classrooms? NYSUT said AI use in any grade must be “supervised, educator-led and designed to promote critical thinking, digital literacy, and civic readiness, rather than replace human instruction, creativity or judgment.” That language leaves room for classroom use, but only under teacher oversight. (nysut.org) Melinda Person, NYSUT’s president, said in the union’s release, “Educators are not anti-technology. (nysut.org) We are pro-child.” Person said decisions about classroom technology should be made by educators and families, not technology companies. ### How does this fit with New York’s existing device rules? New York already has a statewide law restricting students’ use of internet-enabled devices during the school day on school grounds. (nysut.org) A NYSUT fact sheet says the law took effect on May 10, 2025, and the ban itself began on August 1, 2025. The restriction covers non-school-issued devices during the full instructional day, including lunch, recess, study hall and passing time. The law does not prohibit school-issued devices when they are used for educational purposes. It also allows exceptions for emergencies, healthcare, translation services and some other circumstances, according to the fact sheet. ### What are schools and educators saying about classroom use now? Spectrum News reported from West Irondequoit that all 3,800 students in the district use laptops as part of instruction. (nysut.org) Casey Wagner, the district’s director of technology, told Spectrum that instructional technology is different from recreational screen time and “it’s not replacing the teacher.” Wagner told Spectrum the district was already reviewing technology use in early grades and has a tech advisory committee that sets age-appropriate standards. Spectrum also reported students in the district describing more in-person conversation and more reading after cellphone restrictions during school hours. ### Is this only a New York issue? (spectrumlocalnews.com) The American Federation of Teachers, the national union with which NYSUT is affiliated, said on May 27 that President Randi Weingarten had laid out a “devices-down, eyes-up, hands-on” 10-point framework for schools in the AI era. NYSUT’s May 31 release explicitly cited that plan and said New York had “the opportunity and the obligation” to make it real. (spectrumlocalnews.com) NYSUT also said at least a dozen states have introduced or enacted legislation to limit unnecessary classroom screen time, and it pointed to Los Angeles Unified School District’s move to ban screens through first grade. ### Where do the health concerns come in? The American Academy of Ophthalmology says increased screen time and less time outdoors are among factors experts point to in rising childhood myopia risk. (aft.org) The academy says balancing screen time with outdoor time may help limit myopia, while the American Academy of Pediatrics has separately highlighted evidence linking more outdoor time with lower myopia rates. (nysut.org) NYSUT said it will work with parents, experts and community partners on what it called the appropriate role of technology in learning, especially for younger children. The next public test of the proposal will come as districts and state education officials continue to apply New York’s existing device rules and weigh whether to add classroom-specific limits on school-issued screens and AI. (nysut.org) (aao.org)