Hi everyone,

An update with three things in it. It's not quick at all, I'm sorry.

We have passed 250 names

In just over a week, more than 250 community members have joined on! That is meaningful, and not just symbolically. (see update 3 below)

Come find us at the farmers market tomorrow

We will have a booth at the Bainbridge Farmers Market on Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. Come by and say hi, meet some of the people behind these names, and bring the kids. We will have an art table for the little ones and we will mostly just be hanging out, hearing what people on the island are thinking and feeling about technology in classrooms. No agenda beyond that.

An update from the district

This week, BISD Superintendent Amii Thompson reached out to one of our supporters to ask for a meeting. She did so after looking at the public names on our Who We Are page and finding someone she already knew.

I met with Amii this week, and the conversation was collaborative and productive. And I believe it was taken more seriously because of your support. I want to share what I came away with.

The good news. Amii has heard us. She said that the district shares many of the concerns we are raising, that work is underway internally to address them, and that she would like to schedule a community meeting before the next board meeting on May 14 so we (all of us) can engage directly with district staff on these questions. The community meeting is not yet on the calendar, but the intent is real, and we will share details as soon as they are confirmed. This is a meaningful step and we are glad to see it.

The harder news. The conversation also confirmed something we had already begun to suspect. The structure for accountable, evidence-based decisions about classroom technology in BISD has not been in place to this point. The district is working to put the right pieces in place now, but the path from where things stand today to meaningful change in classrooms on their timeline is longer than many of us would want. Each year of delay matters at every stage. One year is roughly 17 percent of a child's K-5 years, a third of their middle school experience, and a quarter of high school. You get to be 7 years old, once. You get to be 13 years old, once. The window for getting this right is now. That the district has been silent publicly while acknowledging these issues internally has been disappointing. Saying so publicly with care, is part of how we keep this moving.

Moving forward

What this means for us. Continued engagement matters more now, not less. There is a board meeting on April 30, and showing up to give public comment matters. The objectives that roll up to the Strategic Plan are being finalized, but they are not final. Feedback delivered directly to the board now can still shape the next steps the district takes.

The May 14 board meeting and the community meeting that may precede it are also moments where supporter turnout will signal the level of care and urgency these issues deserve. We will share specifics as we have them.

In the meantime, the most useful thing you can do is keep telling people about this community, keep adding to our 250+, and consider sending a short email to the board if you have not yet. Drafts are at intentionaltechbi.org/board.

A closing note

It has been heartening this past week to see the support pour in, to read your messages, and to hear how much you care about this. Whatever comes next, we are not alone in this, and that is something.

Thank you for being part of this!

-- Jordan (And our very informal steering committee of supporters)