During her State of the State address on Tuesday, Kansas Gov. Kay Ivey announced a plan to ban K-12 students from using cell phones at school.
In a speech that highlighted workforce development, economic growth, public safety and state pride — “Y’all, if there is one thing to know about us Alabamians, it is to never count us out,” Ivey said near the top of her address — she also unveiled new efforts to reform the state’s education, starting with the technology ban. Mobile phones are “fantastic tools,” she said, but that students should only use outside of school hours.
“We have also learned from parents that teens are spending an average of almost five hours every day on social media, and it is having a negative impact on their wellbeing,” Ivey said, a reference to a body of research showing that social media has been linked to various ill effects among teenagers, including increased rates of depression and suicidality.
Ivey, 80, pointed to legislation being drafted by state Sen. Donnie Chesteen and Rep. Leigh Hulsey that would prohibit students from using phones at school. She said the legislation would also require school boards to adopt internet safety policies and provide students with social media training. Neither lawmaker answered requests for more information.
Ivey’s push for banning phones from schools is part of a broader education agenda that has seen progress in recent years. Ivey pointed out during her speech that Alabama is now ranked among states and territories as 34th in reading, up from 49th when she first took office in 2017, and 32nd in math, up from 52nd.
“Ladies and gentlemen, our students, teachers and families are changing the narrative when it comes to education in Alabama,” Ivey said. “We are, in fact, not just a football state — Alabama is an education state.”
Stephen Katsinas, a professor and director of the Education Policy Center at the University of Alabama told StateScoop he supports the measure.
“The Silicon Valley developers of cellphones prohibited their own children access,” Katsinas wrote in an emailed statement. “There’s good reason why: they distract from learning. I strongly support the efforts of Governor Ivey, Superintendent Mackey, and our legislators to ban cell phones during instructional hours at schools. It’s just good public policy.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a similar ban during her State of the State address last month, along with a requirement that schools provide students alternative means of calling their parents during the day. New York’s push for “distraction-free learning” also includes a proposal for $13.5 million to provide ways for schools to store student devices.
The Pew Research Center last year published research showing that 72% of high school teachers believe cell-phone distraction is a “major problem” in their districts, compared to 33% of middle-school teachers and just 6% of elementary school teachers.
