Parents Reject AI Doom Narrative and Want Tech Taught Responsibly in Classrooms, New National Parents Union Poll Finds

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National organization will also partner with renowned education expert Rebecca Winthrop of the Brookings Institution to kick off a nationwide listening tour this month to hear directly from parents

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 28, 2026 – A new national survey from the National Parents Union, conducted by Echelon Insights, finds parents strongly support policies that would help schools use AI and other education tech responsibly:

  • 85% of parents support K-12 public schools teaching students about AI safety.
  • 77% support K-12 public schools teaching students ways to use AI tools effectively.
  • 81% support prohibiting public schools from buying technology that is not proven to be safe and effective for learning.
  • 79% support requiring all public school teachers to be trained in digital and AI literacy and responsible technology use.

Parents also want schools to set clear guardrails around technology and artificial intelligence while ensuring students actively learn how to use the tools that will shape their future. The survey finds parents favor measured approaches to technology use in schools rather than wholesale restrictions:

  • 78% of parents say public schools should limit screen time for learning activities in kindergarten through second grade but not ban it entirely. Only 11% support banning screen time altogether.
  • In grade levels where students use school laptops during the school day, 58% of parents prefer keeping laptops stored on a classroom cart and allowing students to take them to their desks only at specific times, while 38% prefer allowing students to keep laptops at their desks throughout the school day.

“Parents are telling us they do not want an AI free-for-all, but they also do not want their kids shut out of the technology that will shape their future,” said Keri Rodrigues, President of the National Parents Union. “They expect schools to put real guardrails in place, train teachers, protect kids’ data, and keep adults responsible for the decisions that matter. Parents are going to keep asking the questions and holding schools accountable for getting this right.”

In May NPU launched MyKidMyData.org, a first of its kind resource and advocacy platform that helps every family understand what a strong AI policy looks like within a school district, what to ask principals, superintendents, governors, and lawmakers, and how to advocate for safer, smarter use with personalized message templates.

Parents also express strong support for policies designed to protect children’s data and ensure education technology meets basic standards for safety and effectiveness:

  • 86% of parents support banning technology companies from using or harvesting children’s online data.
  • 79% support requiring a federal agency to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of education technology for use in public schools.
  • 78% support requiring all smartphones to include a built-in school mode that allows schools to limit distractions.
  • 71% support banning students from using AI chatbots during the school day.

The survey also shows a gap in who sees AI skills as essential. 70% of parents with a graduate degree say it is absolutely essential or very important for students to develop strong skills using AI tools, compared to 37% of parents with a high school diploma or less.

“Parents are saying loud and clear that there have to be rules of the road when it comes to technology in schools,” said Rodrigues. “Parents are not anti-technology. They just have extremely high expectations about schools putting their kids’ safety, privacy, and learning ahead of convenience or the latest shiny tool.”

This fall, NPU and Rebecca Winthrop of the Brookings Institution will take the conversation on the road with EPIC 2.0 (Everyday Parents Impacting Change): AI and Tech Edition, a 16-city national listening tour that puts parents and young people in the room, starting October 5th in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Learn more at NPUisEPIC.org.

National Parents Union Survey

Echelon Insights conducted an online survey of 1,528 parents of public school students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade nationwide using non-probability sampling.
Field Dates: September 7-11, 2026
Margin of Error: ± 2.6 Percentage Points (calculated as for a random sample and adjusted for weighting)

Click here for toplines.

About the National Parents Union

The National Parents Union is a network of parent organizations and grassroots activists working to improve the quality of life for children and families across the country. NPU represents more than 2.15 million families through over 1,800 affiliated organizations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.