ISTE's chief argues schools are getting classroom technology wrong in a way bans will not fix

In a Chalkbeat interview published 6 August 2026, ISTE chief executive Richard Culatta argued against blanket screen-time restrictions on the grounds that the problem is implementation rather than the technology — 'It's almost entirely about how the technology is used.' He criticised schools that rolled devices out quickly without preparing teachers or selecting tools carefully, describing the bad case as children clicking through slides, and said all technology use should be aligned to stated learning goals. As an alternative to trusting vendor claims he pointed to the EdTech Index, a database of third-party validations of tools and apps that ISTE is piloting. The piece carries no effectiveness data.

What it means Anyone selecting learning tools now has a named third-party validation index to check against, rather than the vendor deck — which is the practical half of an argument that is otherwise an opinion.