New Yorkers in favor of restricting smart phones in classrooms

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)–The most recent Siena Poll asked if New York voters support or oppose public schools prohibiting students from having smart phones in classrooms. A majority of New York voters said they are in favor of it, according to Siena Pollster, Steve Greenberg.

“Democrats support that proposal 58-36%. Republicans support that proposal 58-36%. Exactly the same numbers for Democrats and Republicans. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that before. Independents support it a little bit stronger, but overall, there’s clearly strong support across New York for having smart phones banned in classrooms,” said Greenberg.

This comes as the governor has been visiting different regions of the state holding round table discussions on the topic.

“13 to17 year olds, 95% of them have access to a cell phone and they aren’t putting it down when it comes to school time,” said Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday. “School districts are struggling.”

While many school districts have their own policies, a statewide policy proposal on smart phones is expected to be released later in the year according to the governor’s office.

After the first round table last month, NYSUT President Melinda Person stated, “If we look narrowly at what is best for kids’ mental health, learning and relationship-building skills, all signs point to a distraction-free school environment. We need state leadership to make it happen, and implementation details will require conversations at the local level.”

The New York State Parent Teacher Association believes phones shouldn’t be available during student instruction and that it’s all about finding the right balance.

“I think we are trying to work through things like what happens after school,” explained Kyle Belokopitsky. “How do parents get ahold of their parents when maybe sports or club activities get over? So, we’re working on some of those details now. We haven’t seen any proposals come out of Albany yet. We anticipate they may be coming, but we are still in the drawing stages of those items.”

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