On Thursday, around one million students in New York City headed back to school, but this year, they faced a new rule: no mobile phones allowed, marking the first time this restriction takes effect.
This phone ban, signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul and approved by the city’s education policy panel last summer, aims to boost academic outcomes that have reportedly been hindered by distractions in classrooms.
About 1,600 public schools in the city are required to develop their own policies regarding this ban. This process might take a few months as educators, including Michael Mulgrew, president of the Alliance of Teachers, work to refine these plans.
“The expectation was that schools would review their strategies over the past few days to ensure everything is in place and functioning effectively,” Mulgrew shared.
However, there might be a bit of a learning curve—“It’ll probably take some time, even until Thanksgiving, for everything to settle down,” he added.
Earlier in the year, Governor Hochul endorsed the distracted school law, which garnered significant support from the state’s influential teachers’ union. The New York City Education Policy Panel approved the initiative decisively, with a 14-1 vote in July.
Under the new policy, students can use their phones while getting to school, but they must hand them over when the bell rings. There are a few exceptions for medical uses, such as for those monitoring insulin levels or helping care for family members.
According to Melissa Aviles Ramos, the city’s school chancellor, this phone policy is designed to be “dynamic,” which means students may be allowed to access their phones for specific educational tasks when directed by a teacher.
To implement the phone ban, the city has set aside $25 million for schools, which includes establishing a way for parents to reach their children during emergencies.
Some schools may notice smaller class sizes this year, as there are state regulations limiting class compositions to 20 students or fewer in early grades by 2028, 23 in grades 4-8, and 25 in high schools.
This year, Malgle indicated that approximately 60% of classes are expected to meet these standards, as the city plans to hire thousands of new teachers.
The Department of Education (DOE) is allocating $42,168 for each student this year, according to budget experts. This figure represents an increase of about $2,000 from last year, factoring in costs for food, transportation, support services, management, pensions, benefits, and debt services.
The DOE’s $41.2 billion budget comprises one-third of the entire city’s budget.
