Three parents raised concerns about classroom technology policy at the Wyckoff K-8 Board of Education's Sept. 14 meeting, including one account of a gap between what district administrators discussed over the summer and what happened once school started.

Abby Kalter, of Albemarle Street — who also raised device-policy concerns at the board's June 8 and June 29 meetings — said she met with district administrators over the summer to talk through what a technology policy might look like, including limits on one-to-one devices for younger grades, a private conversation Wyckoff News could not independently verify. "I came here tonight really hopeful because the agenda does mention, you know, balanced technology and integration, and that's like a catchphrase we're hearing a lot of," she said.[1] "We even discussed limiting one-on-one devices for the younger grades. I was extremely disheartened to know that within the first week of school, six-year-olds were receiving Chromebooks."[2]

Kalter also raised a data question about iReady, the district's adaptive learning platform. "I can't understand why a first grader, second grader, or third grader are even receiving iReady My Path lessons," she said. "They are by their own data useless, and by the fourth and fifth graders just kind of okay."[3]

Catiana Valik, of Mason Avenue — who also raised concerns about classroom technology at the board's June 8 meeting — told the board that "as a parent, I strongly believe that the limited time students spend in our classrooms should be used for things that only a classroom can really provide."[5] She questioned a new middle school period called "exploratory extension," which runs every other day: "My understanding is that now that there's an additional period... there's no curriculum attached to it, so I wasn't able to find what the curriculum is."[4] Valik said she did not want that time taken up by independent computer-based programs. "She could do that at home," she said of her daughter. "Her homework could be to get her My Path lesson done at home."[6]

Laura Dechon, of Smith Place — who raised the same petition at the board's June 8 meeting — said she was speaking in support of Wyckoff Balance's "Reclaiming the Classroom" petition, which has circulated since spring and which she said reflected concerns from more than 800 community members.[7] "We have not seen visible progress so far, even on some of the smaller steps that could have been implemented more quickly," she said.[8] "Technology is moving very quickly and our district is falling behind."[9]

The public comment followed a report earlier in the meeting in which Assistant Superintendent Rob Famularo told the board the district was "renewing its commitment to balance technology for all grade levels" this year.[10] Among the specific steps he described was "prioritizing paper first learning and tactile skills in our primary grades."[13]

The following evening, Washington School Principal Kelly O'Brien's presentation to the full school community at its Back to School Night used similar language, on a slide titled "Technology" that opened with a section headed "Our Early Childhood Philosophy": a "paper-first" mindset prioritizing "physical books, printed text, and hands-on manipulatives," with technology "paired directly with teacher-led instruction" rather than "passive consumption."[12]

Asked by Wyckoff News whether paper-first was a formal, districtwide framework, Famularo replied on Sept. 22 that it was. "Yes, it is a districtwide goal to prioritize paper-first learning, especially in our primary grades, and to pair technology use with personalized teacher-led instruction," he wrote.[14] Kindergarten students have iPads available to use as needed, he wrote, but they are not assigned to individual students. All first-grade students received a Chromebook at the start of the year to complete a fall diagnostic assessment. Technology use in the primary grades, he wrote, "will be minimized."[15]

He said a written "Balanced Technology" statement would go out this week in a community message from Superintendent Kerry Postma, and that the district would post a complete list of its assessments and digital tools online, with principals sharing the link in Friday Folder communications.[16]

Earlier that same Sept. 14 meeting, Postma had responded to the public comment before the board moved on. "We acknowledge the public comment that has been made tonight on all topics, specifically in the topic of iReady and My Path, and we will be taking into consideration the additional feedback," she said, adding that the district would address it in upcoming administrative meetings and its next communication to parents.[11]