Hi folks,

Over 327 of us have signed on. 327 was our first milestone and today we got there. 327 was the number of community members the district surveyed when it began drafting its Strategic Plan. The survey that named reducing screen time as the top priority and excessive screen time as the top challenge to student learning. We are now that number, and Thursday we have the chance to be that number in person, at a board meeting.

This Thursday, April 30, the BISD School Board meets. It is the first board meeting where our community will be visible. We need you there.

What we are asking the board in this meeting

1. Direct the district to remove tablets and laptops from routine K-2 classroom instruction before the start of the next school year, except where these devices provide assistive or accessibility support.

2. Direct the district to publicly answer the 12 questions documented at intentionaltechbi.org before the Strategic Plan is finalized.

We led with K-2 because the research base on early-grade screen exposure is the strongest, and because action there is operationally simplest. The 12 questions cover every grade band, and the broader Strategic Plan commitments at intentionaltechbi.org apply across the district. This is a starting point, not a stopping point.

I will be sending the 12 questions directly to the board ahead of Thursday's meeting so that every director has them in hand before public comment begins.

Why showing up matters

A petition is easy to sign and easy to overlook. People in the room are not. By all accounts, our board genuinely listens to parents and wants to be collaborative. That is good news. It also means our presence carries weight that emails alone cannot.

The board cares about these issues but the district's current timeline does not deliver classroom change to start next year. The reason to show up Thursday is to say, clearly and in person, that this timeline does not work for the children who are in those classrooms now and that the district needs to be transparent with the current state of tech in our classrooms.

If you want to speak (we hope you will)

Public comment is three minutes per speaker. We are asking people to aim for closer to two if they can. That would give opportunity for more people to speak. Not enough time for everyone to speak is a problem we hope to have.

You do not have to land both asks. If your children are older and the foundational transparency the 12 questions would provide is what matters most to you, lead with that. If you have a specific concern that fits neither, name your own ask in your own words. The community is broader than any one ask, and the board needs to hear that.

Below is a scaffold to help you shape your time. Use it as structure, not a script. Make it sound like you. Many of you left powerful comments when you joined that would work perfectly here.

Public Comment Scaffold (April 30 Board Meeting)

Aim for about 250 words. That is roughly two minutes spoken.

1. Who you are. One sentence. Your name and your connection to BISD or the community.

2. Your experience or observation. A story, a concern, a moment, or a question from your perspective. One thing, in your voice. Specific is stronger than general.

3. Your ask. Land at least one of our two asks for the board, in your own words:

• Direct the district to remove tablets and laptops from routine K-2 classroom instruction before the next school year, except for assistive purposes.

• Direct the district to publicly answer the 12 questions that have been emailed to the board, before the Strategic Plan is finalized.

4. Your close. One or two sentences. Thank the board for their time. Something like "I am asking these questions for our children. Thank you" works. Your own words work better.

A few things that help

• Write to about 250 words. Two minutes goes faster than you think, and three goes faster than that.
• Read it aloud at home before the meeting. Time yourself.
• Bring it printed.
• Slow down when you speak.
• Do not name individual teachers, students, or classrooms.
• When in doubt, make it sound like you. The board hears you better that way.

If you want a second set of eyes, reply to this email, we are happy to read drafts.

Logistics

• When: Thursday, April 30. Arrive by 5:30 PM to sign up to speak. The sign-in sheet closes at 5:45 sharp. If you miss it, you will not be able to comment.
• Where: The BISD Board Room is located off High School Road between Bainbridge High School and Commodore Options and adjacent to the lower gym. The address is 9530 High School Road NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 map
• RSVP: Please email Brooke at brooke.wellman@yahoo.com to let her know you are coming, and whether you plan to speak. We are aiming for 25 to 40 supporters in the room and 8 to 12 speakers.

We know it is hard to get out on a weekday evening but this is the only way we will effect change. Bring your kids if you have to, leave early, do whatever you can. Let us know how we can help.

If you genuinely cannot make it in person, you can join the meeting on Zoom and submit comment that way. Details are on the BISD board page. We would still rather have you in the room if it is at all possible. If you can't make it at all, the next meeting is May 14th. We'll need you there too.

Thank you for being one of the 327. By Thursday, we are going to be more.

• Jordan & the Intentional Tech Committee.