Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice says:
As we get ready to hunker down for the Saturday night snow, I’d like to share some district updates:
Smartphone/Wearable Technology Update
As I shared in my update to the community last month, we will continue to take the time to learn, listen and thoughtfully plan as the school community considers my recommendation to restrict access to smartphones and wearable technology during the school day across all grade levels.
This approach is solidly in place for grades K-8. We have maintained the current system at Staples High School, which allows limited access during non-instructional periods, as we evaluate our next steps and consider interventions that fully restrict access during the school day.
Last week over 300 parents attended an outstanding community session on the topic of social media, smartphones, and other related issues in a keynote presentation/Q & A by Max Stossel. The feedback was incredibly positive.
When I learned that Wilton High School was implementing a full smartphone ban, I decided to slow our process down so that we can learn from our peers’ experience.
Today I would like to recap the efforts taken so far, what is on the horizon, and what I anticipate as culminating steps.
Efforts taken so far:
- Last June I provided the Board of Education with my recommendation and supporting rationale
- In September, I worked to personally engage all Staples faculty in small groups to gather their input and feedback. While some opinions varied, a strong majority supported moving toward greater restrictions on smartphone use, including a full ban during the school day.
- Staples High School hosted filmmaker and primary care physician Dr. Delaney Ruston in grade level student assemblies, along with a parent evening event.
- Last week, the district hosted former social media strategist Max Stossel at both middle schools for grade level assemblies and an evening parent event.
- A comprehensive research review has been conducted to accurately identify the latest findings on the impact of smartphones and wearable technology on student learning and well-being. This will be part of any final presentation and action steps.
Next Steps:
- In November, Wilton High School implemented a full smartphone ban. Their experience has provided us with an opportunity to learn before finalizing any changes in our district. Our site visit is February 13. A team of Staples faculty and administrators will attend, along with a parent representative and 2 reporters from the Staples student newspaper, Inklings.
- A town hall event for parent input/feedback, as well as one for students will be held after the site visit.
Culminating Steps:
- Following the site visit and town hall events, I will bring this topic back to the Board of Education to share my recommendations for next steps. I suspect this will be in the early spring.
Stay tuned as we continue this deliberate process to ensure we make the best decisions regarding the presence of smartphones and wearable technology in our schools.
No Place For Hate Gallery on District Website:
The district is committed to implementing the No Place for Hate program. We have developed a microsite on our website with the overview. In addition, we have added a photo gallery. You can stay up to date on the activities by following the postings on the microsite.
AI Pilot:
In December I recommended to the Board of Education that the district pursue a bold strategic vision to position the Westport Public Schools as a national leader in public education’s artificial intelligence revolution. I will return to the Board of Education in the spring with a clear strategic plan to these ends.
In the interim, I am enthused to share that Westport has been selected as one of 7 districts to participate in an AI Pilot through the State Department of Education.
This pilot will occur in March, April and early May in the 6th grade at Bedford Middle School (language arts, math,sScience and social studies), and across a small number of science electives at Staples.
Parents of students in this pilot will receive additional information before the pilot begins. The curriculum units will not change, but the use of the tool SchoolAI will be employed by faculty. This tool has been approved by the state Department of Education and aligns with the Connecticut Data Privacy Act.
Results of the pilot will be shared widely, and help inform long term efforts in the district. This pilot will serve as one effort to consider the role of AI in our schools. Much, much more to come on this topic in the coming months.
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It is my feeling that the town will rue the day that it decided to implement AI in the school system. AI comes with it’s pre-programmed biases. Do you really want your children to be subjected to this. Where does critical THINKING come into play in the school system if AI is implemented?
If Trump and Musk continue their destruction of our government there will be no Board of Education As well as other critical departments to even implement any of these positive actions for our children’s education God help us!
You’re only moments away from being attacked as suffering from “TDS”.
Brace for impact.
SMASH‼️‼️🦅🇺🇸😂
It sure is going to be great when Trump little Bobbie brings back polio. And I guess you won’t miss social security, Medicare or clean.
Clea air, FDA inspected meat, etc…
TDS!!!
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/08/health/trump-usaid-health-aid.html?unlocked_article_code=1.vU4.pgWU.Hvtn2i7cK71_&smid=url-share
I was blown away by Dan’s (Woog, not Katz) disclosure that Peter is 94!!!! He’s not suffering from ANYTHING!!!
I’ll have what HE’S having.
many of you guys are amazing. smart. witty. interesting.
Others dumb as rocks🤩
Tell 06880 readers how you’re declining social security and Medicare, right Tom?
As the parent of a Staples High School student, I attended Max Stossel’s evening community presentation on the impact of social media, smartphones, and other related issues (especially relating to youth). The presentation and follow-on question-and-answer session were extremely insightful in helping parents formulate our opinions on the issue. (Parents also had the opportunity to talk to Superintendent Scarice for 2-3 minutes each after the Q&A session to express our thoughts directly.) The preponderence of evidence accumulated by reputable research sources over many years and highlighted by Max Stossel is clear and convincing.
I encourage parents of all Westport students to learn how the newly implemented policy at Wilton High School is regarded by teachers, parents and students. I personally strongly support a ban the use of smartphones (and similar wearable devices) across all school grade levels K-12 during the school day. I hope all parents take the time to openly express their viewpoints in public as well as in private — and in a manner that shows respect to all members of the Westport community. Thank you. -TWJ
We are wasting too much time and effort … just prohibit the mobile phones in school … full stop …. the ‘kids’ will survive and be far better off for it.
Home schooling might be an option. Give parents a taste of what the teachers have had to deal with for years.
if students keep brining their own devices to school like they do in Darien, where I work in the HS, I can assure you that their laptops, mostly Macs, allow them to be on their “phones” in the classroom.
they text during class, play chess, gamble during lunch, watch sports,
if you are a distracted learner without the strength of steel, you are using your laptop for other things during class time and social time. that is my direct observation inside classrooms.