Before issuing school cellphone policy, Hochul and Banks seek more input
Top officials in the city and state are still gathering information on how to address cellphones in schools as they consider a possible ban.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday kicked off a statewide listening tour that will include discussions with administrators, educators, and others over the coming months to inform a policy proposal for the state’s schools on smartphone use expected to be unveiled later this year.
At a citywide meeting for principals on Monday, New York City schools Chancellor David Banks told school leaders that the Education Department was still doing its research — signaling an apparent pause after Banks had told reporters that a big announcement on a citywide school cellphone policy was imminent.
Principals were asked at the start of the meeting to complete a survey on cellphones, asking them if they already collect phones and whether they planned to implement a cellphone policy for the upcoming school year, school leaders told Chalkbeat.
A Pew Research poll from June found that 72% of high school teachers nationwide said cellphone-related distractions were a major problem in their classroom. And a survey conducted by Chalkbeat echoed these findings, with teachers saying they feel ignored and have to dedicate more and more time to policing phone use.
Read more here: https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2024/07/15/nyc-and-state-school-cellphone-ban-listening-tour/
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