Julie Jargon:

Parents worried about how much time students spend on iPads and laptops during school are trying to opt their kids out of classroom tech. They’re finding it isn’t easy.

Cellphone bans are taking effect in big districts across the country, including Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The next logical question, at least for some, is: What about the other screens? These concerned parents argue that the Covid-era shift that put Chromebooks and tablets in more students’ hands is fueling distraction more than learning.

Teachers and school systems point to the ease of online instruction and say switching for just one student puts a burden on teachers. Tech is woven so deeply into lesson plans and assessments that students using only pencil and paper would be at a disadvantage, they add.

Andrea Boyd of West Des Moines, Iowa, has spent a couple of years pushing for less school technology for her two children. When her son Colin’s school issued him an iPad in the sixth grade, he couldn’t put it down. Other students nicknamed him the “iPad kid.”