Local leaders representing hundreds of thousands of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) members across 10 regions in New York State sent letters to their legislative representatives highlighting the importance of including statewide, bell-to-bell restrictions on students’ cellphones and other personal devices during the school day.
In the past two months, NYSUT has hosted six regional conferences convening hundreds of experts, advocates, families and officials to share strategies and best practices for cellphone restrictions at local levels.
In Rochester, Plattsburgh, Buffalo, Long Island, Syracuse and Suffern, experts agree that the benefits of distraction-free learning occur when students are given a full school day free from their personal devices, rather than the inconsistency of instructional-time-only bans.
A bell-to-bell policy eliminates transition issues between using and not using phones in every class, and it allows students to develop crucial face-to-face communication skills during passing periods and lunch.
“Bell-to-bell policies work best, because students are freed to focus the entire day, rather than counting down minutes in each class for a few moments of screen time during passing periods,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person. “Experts say this is how to best support students’ learning and mental health, and we can’t compromise when it comes to our kids.”
Local signatories included: Andrew Jordan and Marne Brady, Co-Presidents, BOCES United Professionals; Christopher Arnold, President, Brockport Teachers Association; Robert Allen, President, Spencerport Teachers Association; Brian Ebertz, President, Greece Teachers Association; Logan Luke Czerkawskyj, President, Hilton School Employees Association; Erin Ayers, President, Wheatland-Chili Federation of Teachers; and more. Read the full text of the letter at https://tinyurl.com/5x33w8ee.
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