Ten Questions to Ask Your School Leaders About EdTech Products
An easy-to-reference starting place for conversations about classroom-based technology use
Note from Emily: My essay “Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant: How recent news out of L.A. can shine light in dark corners” garnered a lot of interest. Within that piece I had listed ten questions we should be asking of our school leaders. I’ve pulled those out here to be an easy-to-access list you can print and use in your own advocacy efforts. Remember, as always, replace judgment with curiosity.
Ten Questions to Ask Your School Leaders About EdTech Products
1. How many unique EdTech products, platforms, apps, or curricula does our district contract with?
This answer should be readily and publicly available. Some estimates of products per district can number in the hundreds; other in the thousands. If a school leader does not know this information or cannot easily provide it, that is a problem. You cannot vet products for safety, efficacy, and legality if you do not know about them.2. Where can I see the individual contracts for each EdTech product used by our district?
Parents, concerned citizens, and taxpayers have a right to know how money is being spent. The contracts that districts sign with technology companies should be publicly available. If they are not, this is another good question to follow-up on it.
2. Where can I easily view the contracts for each EdTech Product used by our district?
Parents, concerned citizens, and taxpayers have a right to know how money is being spent. The contracts that districts sign with technology companies should be publicly available. If they are not, this is another good question to follow-up on.
3. How much money does our district spend on EdTech contracts per year?
Again, particularly in public education, taxpayers should know how money is being spent. This information should be easily accessible on a district or state website and school administrators should have a very clear idea of how many total dollars are spent on technology products. Sometimes technology products fall into a different budget category than books and paper, for example (see next question). That is good information to know about too.
4. Which budgets cover technology products, such as our learning management system, digital curricula, and online portals? Do books and paper come from that same budget, or a different one?
This information should be clearly mapped out so that the public can see how costs are broken down. It is also important to know if books and paper come from a different budget than technology products or services (the physical devices themselves, as well as the contracts for curriculum and software).
5. Where can I see a list of all EdTech products used in our district?
Depending on which estimate you use, some districts contract with hundreds of companies; others with thousands. Not all products go through a formal vetting process, however, and some classrooms or teachers may use products that did not go through formal vetting. This is a concern. Parents and the general public should be able to see a complete list of all products used. In a few instances, some schools are posting lists of vetted products on their websites. This is a good start. If your school does not have a list readily available or it is not provided on a school website, it would be great to ask why not.
6. Which EdTech apps and platforms are used by which grades? In other words, where can I find a list of the products my child will encounter in their current grade/subject?
If technology products are used by students in a school, there will likely be variation in how they are used. School leaders should have a very clear chart of how different products, platforms, or apps are used by grade level and subject, not just a broad list of products used in a district.
7. What is the process by which a district vets each unique product– not just digital curriculum adoption, but any other digital product that is used by teachers and/or students?
All schools (should) have a formal vetting process for adopting new curriculum, including technology. This is an important question because it is common for many EdTech products to be used in a classroom even if they have not gone through a formal adoption or approval process. The vetting process should be clear and parents should understand the criteria used to “approve” or “deny” an app or product, and what happens with unsanctioned use of apps or if unsanctioned products get used.
8. What GenAI products does the district use, including which existing EdTech products embed GenAI? If I do not consent to my child using GenAI products, how will the district support that?
GenAI products are everywhere, and many are added into existing EdTech products used by children in schools (think Gemini in your Google email account, for example). A school should be fully knowledgable about where GenAI shows up in student-facing technology use. We should be very concerned about the risks of using untested products on children. For any GenAI products used, schools should provide independent research that proves a product is safe for use by children. (However, currently, no GenAI is safe for use by children). Additionally, schools should have an easy process for parents to protect their children from the risks of exposure to GenAI products or apps. If schools require children use GenAI or GenAI-infused products to participate in school, an important follow up question would be: Why?
9. Schools cannot consent on behalf of parents to data and privacy collection. Where can I see a list of each product’s terms of use and privacy policy? If I do not consent to them, what are my options?
Ideally, schools will clearly list all technology products used in a district. In addition to the name of the product itself, it is important that the complete privacy policies of each product are also included and easily accessible. Prior to their children using these products, parents should be able to review the privacy policies of all the products used and determine whether or not they consent to the individual terms of use for each unique product (according to Internet Safety Labs, 96% of EdTech products collect children’s personal data). For parents who do not consent to data collection, schools should provide an analog alternative.
10. How does the district support teachers and parents who do not consent to the data collection, privacy risks, or additional screentime presented by EdTech products?
School leaders need to provide pathways for parents, children, and teachers to participate in the educational process without being subjected to data collection, privacy risks, or even additional screentime, which has known harms to children and development.