CARMEL – Governor Cathy Hochul’s proposed school cell phone restrictions requiring students to separate from their devices from ‘bell to bell’ is being met with positive reactions from local school officials.
During a budget presentation in Albany this week, Hochul said her proposal would “transform our classrooms by returning them to a place of learning. This new statewide policy will make classrooms in the State of New York distraction-free, so our children can focus on the things that matter — learning.”
If approved by the state legislature, beginning in September, every student will be required to disconnect from their devices during school hours—in class, at lunch, in the hallways allowing children to what Hochul said will be “finally freed from the endless disruptions of social media and all the mental-health pressures that come from it.”
The Garrison School District has already banned student cell phone use during the instructional day from 8:25 a.m. to 3:15p.m. during the present school year.
Cell phones are stored away in lockers during the school day and must be powered off or in silent mode.
Carmel Superintendent Erin Meehan-Fairben said the “overuse and dependence on our cell phone is very clear, along with the detrimental effects it’s having on adolescent developing brains. Every single one of our classrooms already has the technological skills to prepare our youth for the workforce expectations for 21st century success. If this decision is made from the state, then we, of course, will comply with Governor Hochul’s and Commissioner Rosa’s expectations. However, we must be mindful of this possible transition for our students and families and the social emotional impact and help them with this change.”
Putnam Valley Superintendent of Schools Jeremy Luft, Putnam’s most senior chief school administrator, explained, “Schools not only in Putnam but throughout the state are cautiously waiting to hear the details of the governor’s plan. It is a fact that a vast majority of student discipline issues we face in schools stem from student interactions via their cell phone. We also see a direct connection between cell phone use and student mental health and wellness. While appropriate use of a cell phone can be an instructional tool, the misuse of cell phones in schools causes much greater issues and becomes detrimental to our instructional program.”
