Baltimore Co. Parents: "Children as young as 5 are in front of screens most days"

ABCSchools Support Letter HB866 SB1089 by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

From: Leslie Weber
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2017 12:24 AM
To: 'anne.kaiser@house.state.md.us' <anne.kaiser@house.state.md.us>; 'frank.turner@house.state.md.us' <frank.turner@house.state.md.us>; 'kathy.afzali@house.state.md.us' <kathy.afzali@house.state.md.us>; 'bilal.ali@house.state.md.us' <bilal.ali@house.state.md.us>; 'Darryl.Barnes@house.state.md.us' <Darryl.Barnes@house.state.md.us>; 'Jason.Buckel@house.state.md.us' <Jason.Buckel@house.state.md.us>; 'Eric.Ebersole@house.state.md.us' <Eric.Ebersole@house.state.md.us>; 'sheila.hixson@house.state.md.us' <sheila.hixson@house.state.md.us>; 'Kevin.Hornberger@house.state.md.us' <Kevin.Hornberger@house.state.md.us>; 'carolyn.howard@house.state.md.us' <carolyn.howard@house.state.md.us>; 'Bob.Long@house.state.md.us' <Bob.Long@house.state.md.us>; 'eric.luedtke@house.state.md.us' <eric.luedtke@house.state.md.us>; 'nick.mosby@house.state.md.us' <nick.mosby@house.state.md.us>; 'Edith.Patterson@house.state.md.us' <Edith.Patterson@house.state.md.us>; 'Teresa.Reilly@house.state.md.us' <Teresa.Reilly@house.state.md.us>; 'April.Rose@house.state.md.us' <April.Rose@house.state.md.us>; 'Haven.Shoemaker@house.state.md.us' <Haven.Shoemaker@house.state.md.us>; 'Meagan.Simonaire@house.state.md.us' <Meagan.Simonaire@house.state.md.us>; 'Jimmy.Tarlau@house.state.md.us' <Jimmy.Tarlau@house.state.md.us>; 'jay.walker@house.state.md.us' <jay.walker@house.state.md.us>; 'mary.washington@house.state.md.us' <mary.washington@house.state.md.us>; 'alonzo.washington@house.state.md.us' <alonzo.washington@house.state.md.us>; 'jh' <jheanelle.wilkins@house.state.md.us>
Cc: 'steven.arentz@house.state.md.us' <steven.arentz@house.state.md.us>; 'Screens and Kids' <screensandkids@gmail.com>
Subject: Letter of Support for HB866/SB1089 from Advocates for Baltimore County Schools

Dear Chairperson Kaiser, Vice Chairperson Turner, and Members of the House Ways and Means Committee,

Advocates for Baltimore County Schools (ABCSchools), the largest public education advocacy coalition in Baltimore County, urges you to support HB866/SB1089, Primary and Secondary Education - Health and Safety Guidelines and Procedures - Digital Devices. These bills call for the development of objective computer health and safety guidelines for Maryland schools. Such guidelines are needed throughout the state, but are especially needed in our County where one of the nation’s largest 1:1 digital initiatives is underway.  Children as young as 5 are in front of screens most days -- guidance from the DHMH is needed to protect our students from well-documented potential impacts on the musculoskeletal system, vision, sleep, cognitive development, and social-emotional development.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Leslie Weber

Co-Founder

Advocates for Baltimore County Schools ~ ABCSchools