Screen Smart Tonka
Let's Build a Smarter Approach to Screens in Minnetonka Schools
Join 400+ Minnetonka Parents 📝
We’re a group of Minnetonka parents working toward a more thoughtful K–12 approach to technology. We believe it’s time for a reset: less screen time overall, clearer standards for when and how devices are used, stronger review of the tools students rely on, and better overall student outcomes.Add your email to show support, stay informed, and help us bring parent feedback and practical ideas into the district’s conversation about school technology.
It's Time for a Reset 💫
Minnetonka's 1:1 iPad program was built with four stated goals: to enhance and accelerate learning, leverage technology for individualized instruction, promote collaboration and engagement, and strengthen the "21st-century skills" needed for future success. Fifteen years later, after significant investment and declining test scores, it is fair to ask whether the program is delivering the outcomes families should expect and whether the tradeoffs have grown too large.Across grade levels, parents are seeing real concerns. In the earliest grades, many "learning apps" feel more like games than personalized learning. Kids can tap, guess, and move through colorful apps without building the things that matter most: reading, writing, math, patience, focus, social skills, and a true love of learning. When every child has a 1:1 iPad, screens naturally creep into more parts of the school day, from schedule gaps to specials like music, art, and media. In upper elementary, many students bring iPads home daily, creating challenges on buses, during downtime, and at homework time. In middle school, devices become a constant presence, adding distraction in class and creating workarounds to games, YouTube, messaging, and inappropriate content. In high school, students are facing AI without clear guardrails. Walk into a classroom during iPad time and you may see students with headphones on staring at screens — the opposite of collaboration and engagement.Another stated goal of the iPad program was to build the "21st-century skills" needed for future success. The irony is that too much screen time crowds out the very skills that will matter most as AI reshapes how we work and learn: critical thinking, creativity, perseverance, and the ability to communicate face-to-face. In a world where AI can produce answers instantly, what students will need most is the ability to ask better questions, think more deeply, and push through hard problems. Those capacities are built through sustained attention, challenging work, and real human interaction. Not through screens.Researchers are increasingly confirming what many parents already sense: too much screen time can fragment attention, crowd out reading and hands-on learning, and make ordinary schoolwork feel less engaging than the next swipe, message, or video. The research is growing, and the lived experience in our classrooms and homes backs it up.The district's goals of academic excellence and well-being deserve tools that actually serve them. Our goal is to give parents a seat at the table and work collaboratively with the district to reset and recalibrate how and when Minnetonka students use screens.
What's Next? 💡
We want to help create a constructive, community-wide conversation about screens and technology in Minnetonka schools.The district has already acknowledged that families are asking important questions about student technology use and AI. That is a positive first step. Our goal is to help gather family perspectives, identify common themes, and share practical ideas that can support the district’s work.Minnetonka is a strong district with caring leaders, teachers, and families. We want to be a constructive partner in helping the district continue to improve.We also want to be clear that this effort is pro-teacher. Teachers are essential partners in this conversation. They understand the day-to-day classroom reality better than anyone, and they should be trusted, supported, and included as the district thinks through what technology use should look like going forward. A better technology approach should make teaching easier, not harder, and should give teachers more room to do what they do best: build relationships, teach deeply, and help students grow.Three steps:1. Listen
We want to hear from you. We’re gathering feedback from families about what they’re seeing across K–12: what’s working, what isn’t, and what could be better.2. Find Common Themes
We’ll look for common themes, concerns, and ideas, especially around screen time, classroom use, app quality, parent transparency, student focus, and AI.3. Share Practical Ideas
We’ll share common themes and constructive suggestions with district leadership and the school board, with the goal of supporting thoughtful improvements for the 2026–27 school year and beyond.This is the right moment.
Across the country, districts are rethinking school technology, and similar conversations are happening in nearby communities. Minnetonka has an opportunity to take a thoughtful look at how screens and technology are affecting student outcomes and the use of district resources.A smarter approach can bolster the district's goals of academic excellence and well-being, make better use of limited financial resources, and support a school culture families feel good about.
We Need Your Support! 🔊
If this issue matters to your family, please sign up. Many parents have shared thoughtful concerns about school technology, and we want to help bring those experiences together in a constructive way. A clearer community voice can help the district better understand what families are seeing and where improvements may be needed.Minnetonka is a strong district with a history of innovation. We believe it can lead on this issue too. By sharing feedback, staying engaged, and working together, parents can help support a smarter path forward.Add your email to show support, stay informed, and help contribute to a thoughtful K–12 conversation about screens and technology in Minnetonka schools.