BURSTNew York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said a classroom phone ban set to be implemented this year will protect students' education.
The distraction free school policy will make New York the largest state in the nation to require statewide, bell-to-bell restrictions on smartphones in K-12 schools.
“I've been a mom longer than I've been a governor, so I'm hardwired to protect kids — my own and yours,” Hochul wrote in a Friday Fox News op-ed titled "Why New York is saving education by getting phones out of classrooms."
“That’s why, as New York’s first Mom Governor, I led the nation last year in taking on the addictive algorithms driving social media feeds. And now, we’re taking another bold step: becoming the largest state in the nation to restrict cellphones in K-12 schools throughout the entire school day,” she added.
The New York governor said the push for phone removal came after teachers told her they could not continue to “compete” against technology devices for their scholars’ attention.
"One young woman told me, 'You have to save us from ourselves.' I knew she really meant it. And I knew I had to act," Hochul said.
Ninety-five percent of teenagers have smartphones and they receive 250 notifications a day on average, according to Hochul.
Public and charter schools with be subject to the new policy in addition to the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services. The measure requires parents be provided a way to contact their children during the day and secures $13.5 million in funding to be made available for schools that need assistance in purchasing storage for phones and other devices.
Hochul touted the backing the policy received in a press release announcing the change.
“Parents and educators are frustrated by what these addictive technologies are doing to our children, and I am so proud to live in a state where our policymakers are actually listening and willing to fight for what they know is right,” Muna Heaven, Mothers Against Media Addiction’s Harlem Chapter Leader and Child Welfare Attorney said in a statement about the phone ban.
“The ‘Bell-to-Bell’ Smartphone Ban has truly transformed our school environment by helping students focus, cultivate meaningful relationships, and renew their commitment to learning,” Anika Bhupati an 8th grade student at Farnsworth Middle School said, according to the release.
Hochul said that’s exactly what the policy is meant to do.
“People ask me why this issue matters so much. It’s simple: I want laughter in the hallways again. I want to hear real voices in gym class. I want our kids to make eye contact and talk to each other face-to-face,” Hochul wrote in the Fox News piece.
“I want teachers to feel free to teach again. And I want to create an environment where kids can actually learn and just be kids again.”