New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is urging parents and students to start preparing for the reality that will come when state law inevitably implements a ban on the use of cellphones in school.
On Wednesday, Hochul said that the back-to-school season in New York this year is different because it includes "detoxing" from cellphones. The situation comes after a roundtable discussion that was attended by students, parents, union officials, and the head of the city's school system, Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos.
Kathy Hochul on Cellphone Ban in Schools
The governor also assured reporters that schools in the state are prepared to transition to phone-free environments after the passing of a law that bans devices for the entire school day. However, this would not mean that students themselves are prepared the same way.
Hochul said, "change is always hard," noting that it has already been a decade since cellphones started being used in schools. She said this would undoubtedly make it harder for children to transition out of. The governor said they have to prepare parents to look at a "detoxing period" for their kids, according to GovTech.
Read more: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Signs Law Requiring Public Schools To Ban Cellphones During School Hours
The New York governor also shared her advice to parents based on what she does with her kids, which is weaning them to bed earlier. This is what Hochul is urging other parents to do to prepare their kids for the change that is coming to schools.
School districts have until Aug. 1 to finalize and publish a policy that would separate students from their mobile devices while on school grounds. Next Wednesday, the Panel for Educational Policy will vote on the revised rules.
Preparing Parents and Students
After that, the responsibility will be given to schools to implement the policy, which would require cell phones to be turned off and stored somewhere chosen by principals. Right now, more than half of city schools are already collecting cellphones or restricting their use in some way, the New York Daily News reported.
Furthermore, the school system is now conducting a "readiness" survey and is working with different schools on implementation plans based on their sizes and current practices. Some campuses provide students with lockable pouches or let them use bins or lockers to store devices before going to class.
However, there are principals who are still trying to create policies, which could be complicated due to the uncertainty of funding. A spokesperson for the city Education Department did not provide details about when such funding would be distributed to schools, as per Chalkbeat.
