New York Gov. Cathy Hochul said Monday she intends to restrict cell phone use in schools to students in kindergarten through 12th grade as part of her latest effort to address children's addiction to cell phones. announced.
The governor said in a statement that he would include the bill in next year's budget proposal, without providing other details. She claimed the initiative follows one of her key achievements last year: the passage of a bill aimed at protecting young people from addictive algorithms on social media. He cited a Pew Research poll that showed 72% of high school teachers say students being distracted by their phones is a “big problem.”
“Young people succeed in the classroom not when they click and scroll, but when they learn and grow,” Governor Hochul said Monday. “My upcoming budget proposal will establish new statewide standards for distraction-free learning in schools across the state.”
Addressing high school and college students at Hudson Valley Community College on Monday, the governor acknowledged that restricting cell phone use could be “very unpopular.”
Last year, Los Angeles Unified became the largest school district in the United States to ban cell phone use. Virginia, Ohio, and Minnesota are among the states that are cracking down on devices in schools.
In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams withdrew his plan to ban cellphone use in schools in August, saying the city was not “there yet.”
In September, the state teachers' union, United Teachers of New York, called for a “bell-to-bell” policy that would restrict cell phone use from the first period until dismissal. Union President Melinda Parson said the union is working closely with the governor to develop a plan.
However, this idea has its opponents. Some New York parents who were students during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have expressed concern about not being able to contact their children in an emergency. Principals are wondering who will pay for the equipment to collect the phones. Some teachers also wonder how to discipline students who break the rules.
A spokesperson for the American Federation of Teachers, New York City's teachers union, said in a statement Monday that the group supports state and city regulations on cell phone use in public schools as long as a number of conditions are met.
The union said teachers should not be responsible for enforcing the restrictions. School districts should pay for it, not individual schools. Enforcement must be consistent across students. And schools should have an emergency contact number for parents.
Many of New York City's more than 1,500 public schools already restrict cell phone use. Some middle schools require children to keep their cell phones in storage spaces along the classroom walls. Many high schools provide lockable cloth pouches for cell phones that students carry in their bags during class.
State Sen. Brad Hoylman Segal, who represents a large swath of Manhattan's West Side, introduced a bill last week that would ban students from accessing cell phones on school grounds. He said he sees his bill as a starting point for debate in the state Senate.
He said he hopes the governor's plan will include a safe and secure way for students to hand over their cell phones and get them back at the end of the day.
“As the parent of a 14-year-old daughter, I understand how cell phones can be a barrier to learning environments,” said Sen. Hoylman-Segal. “At the same time, we appreciate that parents want their children to have cell phones on the subway and bus, so we hope the governor's proposal encompasses both of these needs. I hope so.”
Speaking at a community college on Monday, Governor Hochul explained that he has heard from students who have a hard time putting away their cell phones because they are worried they will “miss out on something.”
“There's so much pressure on you all, and I have to help you with that,” she told the students. “That's my job.”
Troy Crosson and Benjamin Oreskes Contributed to the report.
