{
  "id": 6930005,
  "title": "American schools weren’t broken until Silicon Valley used a lie to convince them they were—now reading and math scores are plummeting",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/american-schools-werent-broken-until-silicon-valley-used-a-lie-to",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-12T13:19:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/article/american-schools-silicon-valley-lie-edtech-chromebook-ai-back-to-school/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "American schools have struggled with declining reading and math scores since employing technology, despite initial intentions to improve learning outcomes. Neuroscientist and former teacher Jared Cooney Horvath observed this trend starting in 2014 with the implementation of the Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence (SAGE) test, which required schools to have digital infrastructure. Horvath, author of The Digital Delusion: How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids' Learning—and How to Help Them Thrive Again, claims this is part of a worldwide trend of falling test scores coinciding with widespread computer and tablet use in classrooms.\n\nHorvath testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, arguing that the adverse impact of technology extends beyond test scores to cognitive capabilities. He pointed to data showing Gen Z is the first generation to be less cognitively capable than their predecessors, based on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test results from 15-year-olds globally. More screen time correlates with worse scores, implying technology may be weakening learning environments instead of strengthening them.\n\nEdtech, which began in 2002 with Maine's statewide laptop program, has expanded rapidly. By 2024, the U.S. had spent over $30 billion on classroom screens, with school districts securing discounted deals. The narrative emerged that education was broken and computers could provide adaptability for students' differing learning needs. However, Horvath contends this was a false narrative pushed by tech companies and advocates to justify the adoption of technology. He argues that indiscriminate digital expansion has weakened learning environments.\n\nThe history of edtech reveals a \"transfer problem\" dating back nearly a century. In the 1950s, B.F. Skinner's teaching machine, based on Sidney Pressey's invention, failed to gain widespread acceptance due to a lack of pedagogical benefit. Students learned to use the tool but struggled to apply their knowledge outside of it. Today, AI-powered edtech has taken on similar shortcomings, as students become proficient using the technology but fail to retain the subject matter.",
  "summary": "Neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath warns the U.S.’s $30 billion bet on laptops in schools has made Gen Zers less cognitively capable than their parents.",
  "key_points": [
    "Declining reading and math scores since 2014 after technology implementation",
    "Gen Z is least cognitively capable generation, per PISA test results",
    "Edtech expansion with $30B spent in 2024, false narrative pushed by tech companies"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}