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Where They Stand:
Ankur Patel

District 4

It’s an election year for LAUSD, with preliminary races in three districts—District 2, District 4, and District 6. In order to help you learn where your district’s candidates stand on the tech issues that matter, SBS will be running a series of interviews with all candidates who take the time to respond to our questions.

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This week, we spoke with District 4 challenger Ankur Patel about his vision for the future of tech in schools. Ankur is a graduate of LAUSD (2003), UCLA (2007), and CSUN (2014). He has worked as an LAUSD Community Coordinator, a substitute teacher, and a union organizer. At this time, he is the Director of Outreach at the Hindu University of America, and he is running for the Board seat currently occupied by his opponent, Nick Melvoin.

Please enjoy our conversation with Ankur Patel.

SBS: What would you say to parents and teachers who are concerned that their schools’ budgets are being spent on costly, ineffective technology while essentials like library services, functional locker rooms, and basic copy supplies fall by the wayside?

I hear this concern constantly, and I have had the same concerns since I ran and campaigned on this issue in the 2015 Board race. When schools lack librarians, have deteriorating facilities, and ask teachers to ration basic supplies while millions are spent on technology with unclear impact, it is indicative of misplaced priorities.

My approach is to start with the basics. Schools should be fully resourced with libraries, books, counselors, arts, PE, and core classroom materials before renewing or expanding expensive tech contracts. Every major technology purchase should be audited for effectiveness, transparency, and opportunity cost. If a product doesn’t measurably improve learning, it should not be funded at the expense of fundamentals.

SBS: Internal Google documents recently revealed that the company’s efforts to get their products into schools aim to create a “pipeline of future users.” How would you respond to parents who want to see addictive apps like YouTube completely removed from school-issued devices?

Public schools exist to educate children, not to build future consumer pipelines. If parents and educators want platforms like YouTube removed from school-issued devices, it is a responsible request. School devices should be configured for learning. Addictive entertainment apps do not belong in the school day. Technology is best deployed when there is a specific, teacher-directed instructional purpose. The district can and should set strong defaults that limit applications, block entertainment platforms, and keep the focus on instruction.

SBS: Silicon Valley parents limit their children’s exposure to the harmful technologies that they develop and opt for schools that prioritize analog learning. There is growing concern that this trend will mean underprivileged students suffering disproportionate deficits in cognition, literacy and attention as a result of excessive tech reliance. How should LAUSD be reimagining the idea of a “digital divide” in 2026 so that the district can ensure equity for all students?

The old definition of the digital divide was about access to devices. In 2026, the real divide is about access to quality learning. When affluent families choose schools with fewer screens, more books, more field trips, and hands-on learning, while lower-income students receive more device-based instruction as a substitute for resources, that is not equity; that’s the bifurcation of the education system.

When you look closely at our opponent’s donor list, you see repeated contributions from wealthy individuals tied to the tech and innovation sector–people who have made their fortunes building platforms, products, and user interfaces. There is nothing illegal about that, but it does raise an important question about priorities. Technology leaders tend to see schools through the lens they know best: data, devices, screens, and systems that scale. Over time, that perspective shapes policy choices, from classroom technology use to procurement decisions. I believe in following the money because money doesn’t just support campaigns, it reflects priorities. And when the same interests keep funding the same candidates, it stops being about kids or classrooms. It becomes about self-interest, protecting wealth, and shaping public systems in ways that benefit the people writing the checks first, not the students sitting in classrooms every day.

With my leadership, LAUSD will redefine equity as access to strong teachers, calm classrooms, physical books, arts and music, science labs, libraries, counseling, and experiential learning. Technology should support learning, not replace it.

SBS: Do you think LAUSD should put a cap on screen time for students at any level? If yes, what would that cap be? If not, why not?

Yes. Screen use should be developmentally appropriate and clearly limited. I support zero routine instructional screen use through at least 7th or 8th grade, with limited exceptions for accessibility needs and clearly defined instructional purposes. Younger students need to build attention, literacy, social skills, and curiosity through real-world interaction, not screens.

As students mature, technology should be introduced gradually and intentionally, as a tool, not as the default learning environment. Healthy screen habits must be taught and modeled.

SBS: Research has already shown that use of generative AI causes rapid cognitive decline. How do you plan to safeguard schools against the encroachment of AI tools in academic settings?

We can’t ignore AI, but we also can’t allow it to quietly replace thinking. We are using AI in our campaign, but AI works for me; it doesn’t lead me. I decide what this campaign stands for, and AI helps execute that work. I’d much rather have people than technology, and the more volunteers we have, the less we need AI. Until then, it helps a small team move forward without replacing human thinking.

Schools need clear, district-wide guardrails defining what AI tools are allowed, restricted, or prohibited. Instruction and assessment should prioritize in-class work, drafting, discussion, handwriting, reading comprehension, and critical thinking, so learning cannot be outsourced to a tool.

Any AI product used in schools should be scrutinized like any other vendor. Additionally, AI requires nuanced analysis, including privacy review, transparency, and proof that it serves an educational purpose.

SBS: What would you tell parents who are concerned about their children’s data being harvested and sold by EdTech platforms without their consent?

Parents are right to be concerned. Student data should never be treated as a commodity.

I support strong protections, including minimal data collection, clear parental consent, plain-language disclosures, limits on data retention, and strict enforcement of contracts. If a company is unwilling to meet those standards, it should not have access to students.

This is exactly why a Students' Tech Bill of Rights matters. Too often, tech companies hide behind long, confusing consent forms that even adults struggle to understand, let alone children. Students have little to no real capacity to meaningfully consent to how their data is collected, used, or shared. Our responsibility is to protect not just student privacy, but students themselves, their autonomy, their development, and their overall well-being. Schools should be places of learning and growth, not testing grounds for corporate data practices.

SBS: What would you propose for parents and teachers who would like to opt their children out of programs like the iReady weekly minutes, which have become a feature of many students’ days?

Families and teachers should have meaningful opt-out options and alternatives. We have been reading for millenia, iReady is not a necessity. If a parent believes a program like iReady is not benefiting their child, schools should respect that choice and provide real, teacher-led alternatives. Opting out should not penalize students or create academic disruption. Paper-based practice, small-group instruction, and non-screen assessments should be available.

SBS: Basic tech skills like typing and digital literacy have declined even as tech use has increased. How would you address this?

More screen time does not automatically produce better digital skills. Digital literacy should be taught intentionally, in short, structured lessons: typing, research skills, file management, citations, media literacy, and online safety. Skills should come before access. Random or excessive screen use often erodes competence rather than building it.

SBS: Many parents and teachers are concerned about the influence of private tech companies over public school policy. Are there guardrails that should be enacted, and are there SBS reforms you would support?

Yes. Public school policy should not be driven by vendor influence or campaign convenience.

I support independent evaluations before district-wide adoption, transparent contracts, pilot programs with clear success metrics, sunset clauses, strong privacy protections, and grade-level limits on 1:1 devices. I support SBS proposals such as a student tech bill of rights, reinvestment in analog learning, and public oversight of edtech decisions.

SBS: How do campaign funding and civic participation affect school board decision-making?

Money has a huge negative impact on school board elections–especially in LAUSD, where districts are low-turnout and massive. Historically, only candidates with lots of money and with the help of outside special interests can effectively and consistently communicate with voters.\t

When everyday parents, teachers, and community members don’t vote or engage, a vacuum forms. That vacuum is often filled by organized interests with money, influence, and long-term agendas. Campaign donations and independent support help determine who has the resources to run and win, and that inevitably shapes who they feel accountable to once elected.

That’s how boards drift away from classrooms and toward vendors, consultants, and private interests. It’s also how some people treat these seats as stepping stones rather than responsibilities to students.

Public education impacts nearly every aspect of a child’s life. When communities disengage, decisions are made without them. When communities show up, vote, and support grounded candidates, accountability returns to where it belongs.

SBS: What else should SBS voters know about you?

I’m running because schools need leadership that puts students, families, and educators first, not trends, vendors, or political ambition.

I believe in strong fundamentals, healthy boundaries around technology, real-world learning experiences, and listening to the people who are actually in classrooms every day. I’m not here to protect a system; I’m here to improve it.

SBS: Where can SBS members learn more about your candidacy, and how can they help?

You can learn more about our campaign online (www.ankurforchange.com), talking to me directly (818.825.7052) and by meeting us in the community. The most important way to help right now, is to help qualify our campaign for the ballot by collecting signatures of registered voters in the district, so that we can turn the page on the status-quo.

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In Other SBS News:

Register to speak at 10 AM today for tomorrow’s Board meeting. If you are looking for a topic, this month we are especially focused on issues of budget.
SBS now counts its membership at 1000+ LAUSD parents & growing! Join the movement.
Learn about District 6 challenger JP Perron here & in the next installment of our “Where They Stand” series.
Sign up to join our February 20th Zoom Book Club with Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, author of The Digital Delusion.

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i-Ready Town Hall

May 21, 12PT/2CT/3ET

You've heard about the class action lawsuit.

Now, learn about the allegations against Curriculum Associates (makers of i-Ready) directly from the lead plaintiffs Lila Byock & Nicki Petrossi, and attorney Andrew Liddell.

Q&A to follow.

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Where They Stand:Ankur Patel

District 4

In Other SBS News:

i-Ready Town Hall

May 21, 12PT/2CT/3ET

Where They Stand:
Ankur Patel