Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Matthew McCormick is the Education Director at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Before entering the public service sector, Matthew taught high school English where he saw the potential of Texas students and the need for reform.
McCormick warns that excessive reliance on instructional technology, especially one-to-one devices, is undermining student learning and classroom instruction across Texas schools. He highlights concerns including weaker retention compared to reading and writing in print, declining attention spans, mental health impacts, exposure to harmful content, and growing threats to student data privacy.
He urges the legislature to establish safeguards, mentioning potential interventions such as prohibiting one-to-one devices for students below third grade, banning devices for direct classroom instruction, and removing technology from instructional materials alignment requirements.
Testimony before the Texas House Public Education Committee on safeguards against excessive technology use in our schools
The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s mission is to promote and defend liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise in Texas and the nation by educating and affecting policymakers and the Texas public policy debate with academically sound research and outreach.
Funded by thousands of individuals, foundations, and corporations, the Foundation does not accept government funds or contributions to influence the outcomes of its research.
The public is demanding a different direction for their government, and the Texas Public Policy Foundation is providing the ideas that enable policymakers to chart that new course.
Website: texaspolicy.com
X: twitter.com/tppf
Facebook: facebook.com/texaspolicy
Instagram: instagram.com/texaspolicy
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/texas-public-policy-foundation
Matthew McCormick is the Education Director at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Before entering the public service sector, Matthew taught high school English where he saw the potential of Texas students and the need for reform.
McCormick warns that excessive reliance on instructional technology, especially one-to-one devices, is undermining student learning and classroom instruction across Texas schools. He highlights concerns including weaker retention compared to reading and writing in print, declining attention spans, mental health impacts, exposure to harmful content, and growing threats to student data privacy.
He urges the legislature to establish safeguards, mentioning potential interventions such as prohibiting one-to-one devices for students below third grade, banning devices for direct classroom instruction, and removing technology from instructional materials alignment requirements.
Testimony before the Texas House Public Education Committee on safeguards against excessive technology use in our schools
The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s mission is to promote and defend liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise in Texas and the nation by educating and affecting policymakers and the Texas public policy debate with academically sound research and outreach.
Funded by thousands of individuals, foundations, and corporations, the Foundation does not accept government funds or contributions to influence the outcomes of its research.
The public is demanding a different direction for their government, and the Texas Public Policy Foundation is providing the ideas that enable policymakers to chart that new course.
Website: texaspolicy.com
X: twitter.com/tppf
Facebook: facebook.com/texaspolicy
Instagram: instagram.com/texaspolicy
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/texas-public-policy-foundation
