Silicon Valley Parents Push Public Schools to Cut Screens as Waldorf Tuition Tops $40,000
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Oct 27
Silicon Valley Parents Push Public Schools to Cut Screens as Waldorf Tuition Tops $40,000
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 27
Summary
San Mateo schools have stopped sending Chromebooks home with K-2 students and imposed a blanket high-school phone ban as Silicon Valley parents press public districts to curb classroom tech.
99% of teachers surveyed in 2025 said students receive school-issued devices, and 81% said screens start by kindergarten, fueling backlash over learning, attention and student-teacher relationships.
Mountain View schools are moving away from i-Ready, while Palo Alto has barred smart glasses, showing the push now extends beyond private campuses into mainstream district policy.
$40,000-a-year kindergarten at San Francisco Waldorf has drawn tech families seeking screen-free education, but researchers warn wealthier communities may escape ed-tech dependence while poorer districts fall further behind.