NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson USD 308 Superintendent Dr. Dawn Johnson told Hutch Post this week that the district plans to use the information learned by Laura Corey on a statewide screen time task force to shape where the district goes with that policy.
"She's one of, I think about 36 folks who were selected to serve on that Blue Ribbon task force," Johnson said. "I was just talking with her a little bit about it because it has come up as her time and commitment to that committee is going to be an opportunity for us to take a look at it in our district as well. So I think she's learned a lot on that and she told me that really the purpose of that meeting or that group is to develop guidance and recommendation based on research, understanding students' personal use of personal devices in school, mental health and related to screen time and then parental oversight of those. The first several meetings she said they were learning about the implications of cell phone use on children utilizing cell phones and other screen time, iPads, what have you. They've read The Anxious Generation, a book, several articles that are published about that. So the first parts were just about understanding the effects of screen time on students' mental health. Then the remaining meetings, I think they're maybe about to wrap up here soon, is to summarize the findings that they've had and then maybe that group will make a vote and make a recommendation to the State Board of Education about maybe how to go forward."
USD 308 will then have some decisions to make on its own.
"We're going to start a committee in USD 308 to take a look at this," Johnson said. "We'll learn a lot from what Laura has learned. She'll share some of the articles and stuff that she has read and information from the book. Ours will have kind of the same makeup of teachers, administrators, students, parents on that committee. We're hoping to meet, I think the state board's going to make a recommendation in November or December coming up."
The hope is to get that committee together either right before or right after the state board's action.