Maryland’s Largest School District Agrees to Independent Wireless Radiation Measurements

BETHESDA, Md. - May 7, 2015 - PRLog -- Montgomery County Maryland Public Schools (MCPS) has agreed to do independent wireless radiation measurements of classroom Wi-Fi networks after a parent group raised concerns about the health effects from Wi-Fi radiation.

Radiation measurements at a local elementary school in 2014 spurred the formation of a parent advocacy group called Safe Tech For Schools Maryland (STFSM). Members met with Montgomery County Maryland School Technology Staff on May 5, 2015 and shared scientific research showing neurological and DNA damage from low level wireless exposure. They called for the formation of a health and safety committee and they asked for answers to their questions about the technology rollout which to date have gone unanswered.

MCPS maintained their stance that they are FCC compliant, meaning the radiation levels are below government exposure guidelines and thus the district does not need to take action. STFSM parents responded that these guidelines are over 18 years old. They presented the words of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Department of the Interior, the California Medical Association, and Yale and Harvard doctors who state that these outdated FCC guidelines “do not protect children”.

“This is about our children. They are sitting under these routers every day. Experts worldwide are stating that even very low levels of this radiation could pose a serious health risk. We may not be able to see this radiation but that doesn’t mean there is no damage to  children’s health.. Why is MCPS waiting for more evidence? The Chief of OB GYN at Yale is not waiting and he recommends reduced WiFi to avoid brain damage in babies. It is just common sense to act now and listen to these experts” stated a concerned parent.

The parents shared research studies showing low level  wireless  radiation exposure resulted in the following health effects: brain damage, cardiac problems, leukemia, headaches, concentration problems, sleep problems, DNA damage and immune damage. Wireless radiation is Radio Frequency Radiation which is classified by the World Health Organization's International Agency for the Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Class 2 B Carcinogen.

The parent group was recently featured in a WUSA-9 Report vieweable at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzP_LYPXyQk&feature=youtu.be



The parent group has detailed their concerns from the meeting on their blog at http://safetechforschoolsmaryland.blogspot.com/2015/05/were-not-irradiating-kids-says-chief.html

MCPS stated they will contract to do independent radiation measurements just as the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) did during their controversial iPad rollout. MCPS officials stated they were in regular communication with LAUSD who adopted radiation thresholds 10,000 times less than FCC levels. A LAUSD teacher was recently featured in a CBS News report as the first public school teacher in the U.S. to be granted a health accommodation by a school district  for sensitivity to wireless radiation. The report this middle school teacher can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg7QxwUrEhI

The MCPS 15 million dollar digital learning initiative is one of the country's largest K-12 computing initiative. High capacity wireless access points were deployed in 2013 to all of the district's schools.  The district’s wireless rollout is an example of a nationwide move towards wireless devices in the classroom. The advocacy group is also an example of a nationwide movement of concerned parents calling for safer hardwired (non-wireless) corded technology in the classroom due to health risks.

For more information contact safetechforschoolsmaryland@gmail.com