Senate Dems slammed for trying to ‘water down’ Gov. Hochul’s school smartphone ban: ‘Almost meaningless’

Backers of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed “bell-to-bell” ban on the use of smartphones in schools are calling out Democrats in the state Senate for pushing to “water down” the proposal.

Hochul’s plan would forbid students from using smartphones during the entire school day, but the Senate’s proposed budget resolution would only ban cell phone usage during classroom or “instructional time.”

The Senate’s proposal would leave it to school districts to determine whether or not they want to outlaw cell phone usage outside the classroom or during non-instructional periods.

“We are very disappointed by the NY State Senate watering down the Governor’s cell phone proposal to make it almost meaningless,” said Phone Free NY founder Raj Goyle.

“The kids of New York desperately need protection from screens to protect their mental health and learning at school. We will work tirelessly to advocate for a bell to bell ban that is the only way to truly help our kids.” 

Many schools in the state already have a policy forbidding cell phone use during class time only, according to those who support the more extensive all day school ban.

Supporters of a bell-to-bell ban on mobile phone usage plan to ramp up their advocacy to persuade senators to get on board, sources said.

Hochul, too, said Tuesday she is “committed to fighting for a bell-to-bell” smartphone ban.

“This is what the experts say, this is what the parents want, this is what the teachers want,” Hochul said during a press event in Albany.

Allowing students to use their phones outside class will cause disruptions in the classroom, the governor said.

“If the student had it banned during the class, then they have it during recess, and then they come back and the next teacher has to be the enforcer. And then the next teacher after gym class has to be the enforcer,” Hochul said.

“It’ll be wildly, wildly distracting,” she said, “even more so for the teachers.”

But Sen. John Liu, who chairs the committee overseeing New York City schools, defended the Senate proposal requiring only a ban for classroom instruction as reasonable and fair.

He noted that some schools have already established their cell phone policy that stops short of a bell-to-ban, and they should have the “flexibility” to continue it.

Liu said it was “only fair” to give other school districts the same flexibility on whether to extend the phone ban beyond classroom instruction.

Based on conversations, he anticipates the New York City public school system will impose a broader bell-to-bell ban.

Hochul and state lawmakers are expected to hash out their differences before the state budget is adopted, anticipated by April 1.

There’s a real difference of opinion.

State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa recently said she favors local control and advised lawmakers to seek input from parents and students in each district before implementing a ban.

Rosa’s opposition to an Albany-dictated phone policy coupled with the Senate resistance shows there’s “a real fight” over the issue, a source who backs a more extensive ban said.