Screen time, age-appropriate books focus of BOE meeting
By Pete Gawda
Limiting student use of computers and age-appropriate books were hot topics at the Thursday, June 4, meeting of the Knox County Board of Education, attracting a lot of attention from board members as well as interested citizens.
A law enacted this year by the General Assembly requires each school system to adopt a policy governing the use of digital devices for students in grades K-5 with the intent of minimizing unnecessary screen time.
To aid in the implementation of this law, Katherine Bike offered a resolution to form a committee to make recommendations to the board regarding “safe, healthy and effective use of technology in the classroom.” Her idea was for the committee to start work before the start of the next school year.
“We didn’t get here overnight,” was the opinion of Kristi Kristy. “I don’t think there will be a quick fix. It’s going to be a challenge.”
“I appreciate this resolution because it gives the board a selective voice,’ said Ann Templeton.
“I believe a resolution is important because it is a commitment to what we want to happen,” was the opinion of Patricia Fontenot-Ridley.
Several speakers from the audience spoke in favor of limiting computer access for students and recording students’ screen time. One parent called on the board to evaluate and justify all technology. Another speaker expressed concern about eye strain in children caused by excessive screen time and the advertisements that young children would be exposed to on YouTube.
However, Superintendent Jon Rysewyk disagreed with the need for the resolution. “We are 100 percent committed to it,” he said of researching student use of computers. He went on to say that since the staff is off for the summer, major changes should not be made until school starts.
In a split vote, the board defeated the resolution. With the nine-member board, it would take five votes for an item to pass. Bike, Templeton, Fontenot-Ridley and Betsy Henderson voted yes. Steve Triplett, Lauren Morgan and Kristy Kristi voted no, while Travis Wright and John Butler passed.
Turning to age-appropriate books, the General Assembly recently amended the Age-Appropriate Materials Act. Templeton offered a resolution urging the General Assembly to restore to the law the requirement that all books be evaluated as a complete work. Any objectionable content in a book would be evaluated against the entire book’s “historical significance, literary merit, educational purpose, religious significance and overall effect.” The resolution also urged that the period of time that a local school system has to evaluate a questionable book be changed from 60 to 90 days. In addition, it urged that school districts be allowed to evaluate books by developmental level.
Templeton said this was an attempt to get the General Assembly to take another look at the law and “make it better.”
The resolution passed with Triplett, Morgan, Wright and Henderson voting no.
Bike then made a motion that did not pass, requesting that all 123 books currently banned from school libraries be reinstated and reevaluated again when the board adopts a new policy in compliance with recent revisions of the law. She was the only board member voting yes with Butler, Templeton and Fontenot-Ridley passing.
Recent discussion of revisions to the Age-Appropriate Materials Act sparked interest in the legality of the book “Roots” being on school library shelves. Superintendent Rysewyk said he had consulted several lawyers and found that there were differences of opinion on the subject. Therefore, he decided to “err on the side of access” and allow the book to remain in libraries.
