Menin cites declining reading scores and calls for guardrails on technology

So then what are we teaching these young people?

This year, the overall reading scores for students between third and eighth grade dropped six percentage points compared to last year.

And third grade proficiency alone sank by nearly 14%.

These numbers are truly alarming.

We need to make sure that our schools are helping students develop much needed reading, writing, reasoning, and problem solving skills.

DEWE's guidance significantly restricts individual device use for younger students, recommends limits of 30 minutes per day for grades 3 through 5, and 45 minutes for grades 6 through 8, and establishes a one-year moratorium on most student-facing

generative AI through 8th grade, affecting nearly 600,000 students.

But we really need to know whether the screen time recommendations will actually be followed, whether teachers have the books, instructional materials, and training they need to provide meaningful screen-free instruction,

and whether every technology product purchased with taxpayer dollars is supported by evidence.

so that it actually improves learning.

This hearing is about putting in place guardrails to ensure the responsible use of technology in our schools.

Every single device, every platform, and every minute a student spends on a screen should serve a clear educational purpose.

Our goal should be classrooms where technology is a useful tool, but never a substitute for teachers'books, critical thinking, creativity, and interaction with classmates.

Thank you.