Ahead of today’s Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing on youth screen time, 17 national education technology, library, and nonprofit organizations sent a joint letter to Chairman Ted Cruz and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell urging policymakers to clearly define screen time and recognize the beneficial role that education technology and connectivity play in K–12 learning.
In the letter, the organizations emphasized that when technology is intentionally designed, responsibly and safely implemented, and supported by robust connectivity, it is a powerful driver of teaching, learning, and workforce readiness.
“When supported by reliable, high-capacity broadband, school technology enables educators to leverage digital tools and rich content to differentiate instruction, assess student understanding, and create opportunities for small-group and individualized learning,” the groups wrote. “School technology also helps remove barriers to learning, enabling students with disabilities and students without home internet access to fully participate in modern learning environments.
“School technology is also essential to preparing students for the workforce. Employers increasingly expect students to be fluent in digital collaboration tools, online research, data literacy, and artificial intelligence (AI). As the Trump Administration continues to champion AI readiness as a national priority, schools serve as a key pipeline for helping students acquire the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly evolving workforce. Pulling back on educational technology would leave students less prepared for both today’s and tomorrow’s demands.”
The organizations also called on government leaders to support adequate funding, professional development, and technical assistance to ensure schools can maintain effective filters and safeguards that protect students while allowing learning to continue.
Following the hearing, organizational leaders reinforced the importance of clearly defining “screen time” and recognizing the distinct and beneficial role that education technology and connectivity play in K–12 education.
“We appreciate the Committee’s attention to the important issue of youth screen time,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN. “It is critical to recognize that ‘screen time’ is not a single category. Educational screen use — aligned to curriculum, guided by educators, and supported by strong privacy and security policies — is fundamentally different from unsupervised or recreational online activity. When these categories are conflated, we lose the nuance required for good policymaking.”
“The American Federation of School Administrators believes in the power of technology to transform teaching and learning while remaining clear-eyed about the need to protect students from inappropriate content and other dangers online,” said Mark Cannizzaro, president of the American Federation of School Administrators. “With good jobs increasingly dependent on technology skills and knowledge, our nation cannot afford to remove technology from the classroom and leave students unprepared for future success.”
“AASA has long believed in the power of technology to expand opportunity for students,” said David Schuler, executive director of AASA. “From the early days of E-Rate to today’s conversations about AI, access and connectivity remain essential to preparing students for the workforce and the future. We support strong guardrails to protect students and their data, but we shouldn’t turn back the clock on learning.”
“Technology isn’t optional in today’s learning environments — it’s essential, and so is the internet,” said Sam Helmick, president of the American Library Association. “Internet access isn’t equivalent to screen time any more than roads are the same as traffic. When shaping technology policy for schools, lawmakers should listen to educators and librarians who have navigated every wave of innovation, from desktop computers to AI.”
“Today, Catholic school classrooms reflect lessons learned during the shift to virtual instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dale McDonald, PBVM, PhD, vice president of public policy at the National Catholic Educational Association. “Learning environments are more student-centered, inquiry-based, and adaptive — and they require access to digital learning both in classrooms and at home.”
“As educators work tirelessly to prepare students for the future, education technology has significant value in the classroom,” said Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association. “It is critical that all public school students have equitable access to technology. As AI tools enter classrooms, they must be human-centered, guided by educators, and regulated responsibly with student safety and privacy at the forefront.”
“While SHLB supports efforts to protect children from harms associated with social media and personal mobile phone use, connectivity in schools remains essential,” said Joey Wender, executive director of the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition. “We urge policymakers to distinguish entertainment-driven technology from the monitored and intentional use of digital tools in schools and libraries.”
The following organizations signed the joint letter and expressed their commitment to continued engagement with the Committee on these issues: AASA, The School Superintendents Association; AESA, Association of Education Service Agencies; American Federation of School Administrators; American Federation of Teachers; American Library Association; Association of School Business Officials International; Benton Foundation; CoSN – The Consortium for School Networking; Consortium of State School Boards Association; National Association of Elementary School Principals; National Association of Federally Impacted Schools; National Association of Independent Schools; National Association of Secondary School Principals; National Catholic Educational Association; National Education Association; SETDA (State Educational Technology Directors Association); and the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition.
