Parents in New York are calling on lawmakers to support Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposed ban on cell phones in schools amid various concerns.
The situation comes as lawmakers have already made efforts to allow local districts to have leeway over the ban itself. Advocates, including Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, said that legislators must "not take the wrong path" at this crucial moment.
Kathy Hochul's Proposed Smartphone Ban in Schools
The letter the advocates sent also blasted state Assembly and Senate Democrats for separate proposed bills. The legislation would give the New York City Public School System and other school districts more leeway instead of implementing a complete ban on cell phones in schools.
It noted that a classroom ban only prohibits phones from being used when it is class time, which could be seen as reasonable in theory. However, it argues that it would make the governor's proposed policy absolutely meaningless, according to the New York Post.
The letter argued that bell-to-bell policies are vital because they work to create lively engagement throughout schools. It added that a classroom ban means that students will still be victims of their cell phones and social media after class is over.
Gov. Hochul's proposed cellphone ban, included in her executive budget proposal for 2025-26, requires that mobile phones be stored until students are dismissed. Lawmakers are set to adopt the 2025-26 budget by April 1, 2025.
Advocates of the ban argue that the policy has many benefits, especially for students studying in school. Some of these include a smartphone-free environment that goes beyond encouraging classroom focus, the New York Daily News reported.
Providing More Flexibility
Hochul's proposed policy would also ban smartphones but allow students to use simple phones to make calls or send text messages. This would maintain students' access to the outside world without causing too much distraction.
Supporters of Hochul's proposal argue that American teens have long been sucked into the vortex of always being online. This is because social media has stimulated and affirmed their feelings about themselves and the things they do.
The situation comes as New York's school boards, superintendents, and building administrators are not fully on board with the governor's cellphone ban. Many of them have argued that students need more flexibility regarding the issue.
A memo by a coalition of school organizations argues that they favor the approaches to school smartphone regulation proposed by the Senate and Assembly. This is in contrast to the policy that Hochul is backing, as the Gothamist reports.
