Governor Kathy Hochul kicked off a statewide listening tour this week focused on addressing smartphone use in schools.
According to a press release from the governor’s office, this listening tour will include roundtable discussions with key stakeholders over the coming months. As the Governor has emphasized, stakeholder engagement will play a key role as she develops a statewide policy proposal on smartphones in schools that will be announced later this year.
“We can help our young people succeed in the classroom by ensuring they’re learning and growing – not clicking and scrolling,” Governor Hochul said. “That’s why I’m working with all stakeholders across the state to develop effective solutions on smartphones that help protect our kids’ mental health and deliver the best results for our schools.”
The kickoff roundtable was held at Guilderland High School in the Capital Region and included administrators and teachers from several different schools. Additional roundtables over the coming months will be held across the state with a wide array of educators, parents, students and advocates.
According to a Pew Research poll released in June, 72 percent of high school teachers nationwide say that students being distracted by cell phones is a major problem in their classroom.
As part of her commitment to addressing this issue and creating more positive outcomes for students, families and educators, Governor Hochul stated this spring that she plans to propose a statewide policy to tackle excessive smartphone use in schools.
Governor Hochul has also highlighted that many schools across the state – including some represented at the roundtable – currently have individual policies seeking to address cell phone use in their classrooms.
“The Governor is focused on gathering detailed perspectives on the successes and challenges seen by various schools and stakeholders statewide based on the current patchwork of individual school policies,” the press release said.
Participants at the opening roundtable included:
- Marie Wiles, Superintendent of Schools, Guilderland Central School District
- Joseph Hochreiter, Superintendent of Schools, City School District of Albany
- David Blanchard, Superintendent of Schools, Schoharie Central School District
- Erin McNamara, 11th Grade Teacher, Guilderland High School
- Molly Stammel, 9th and 10th Grade Teacher, Shenendehowa High School
- Melinda Person, President, NYSUT
“This listening tour builds on Governor Hochul’s leadership on youth mental health and wellbeing, which has included signing a first-in-the-nation law to combat addictive social media feeds; expanding school-based mental health clinics and other resources; and launching the “Get Offline, Get Outside” campaign to encourage kids and families to put down their phone, take a break from social media and enjoy outdoor activities this summer,” the press release said.
Additional roundtable discussions with educators, parents, students and other advocates will be held over the coming months.
“This continues Governor Hochul’s leadership on youth mental health and wellbeing, which has included signing a first-in-the-nation law to combat addictive social media feeds; expanding school-based mental health clinics and other resources; and launching the “Get Offline, Get Outside” campaign to encourage kids and families to put down their phone, take a break from social media and enjoy outdoor activities this summer,” the press release continued.
“The challenges presented by cell phones in schools also highlight the ongoing issue of learning loss, especially in the post-pandemic era. Governor Hochul’s efforts here are the next step in ensuring our students’ full attention is on learning.”
