Governor Hochul Hosts Hudson Valley Roundtable on Tackling Smartphone Use in New York Schools

Governor Kathy Hochul today held a roundtable discussion with local educators and stakeholders in the Hudson Valley as part of her statewide listening tour focused on addressing smartphone use in schools. This follows several recent sessions in the Capital Region, Long Island, Southern Tier and Western New York, and will continue with additional discussions with key stakeholders over the coming months. As the Governor has emphasized, stakeholder engagement will play a key role as she develops a statewide policy proposal on smartphones in schools that will be announced later this year.

"Our young people can succeed in the classroom when they're learning and growing - not clicking and scrolling," Governor Hochul said. "I've already learned a great deal on this listening tour from educators and parents who want to deliver the best results for our kids. I'm excited to keep working with all stakeholders to develop effective solutions to address smartphones and other devices in New York's schools."

According to a Pew Research poll released in June, 72 percent of high school teachers nationwide say that students being distracted by cell phones is a major problem in their classroom. As part of her commitment to addressing this issue and creating more positive outcomes for students, families and educators, Governor Hochul stated this spring that she plans to propose a statewide policy to tackle excessive smartphone use in schools.

Governor Hochul has also highlighted that many schools across the state currently have individual policies seeking to address cell phone use in their classrooms. The Governor is focused on gathering perspectives on the successes and challenges seen by various schools and stakeholders statewide based on the current patchwork of individual school policies.

Today's roundtable was held at the Yonkers Public Schools Board of Education and included State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, as well as administrators and teachers from several different schools in the region. Additional discussions over the coming months will be held across the state with a wide array of educators, parents, students and advocates.

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, "We are here today with a shared goal of discussing the best way forward to foster an educational environment that maximizes student learning and supports their mental well-being. I want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul for bringing together stakeholders to discuss how smartphone use in our schools impacts the learning environment and the mental health of students, and explore possible ways to address this issue. Our work demands that we meet the challenges that arise in modern life, including the novel opportunities brought about by advances in technology."

Additional participants at today's roundtable included:

• State Senator Shelley Mayer
• Assemblymember Gary Pretlow
• Assemblymember Nader Sayegh
• Assemblymember Chris Burdick
• Assemblymember Chris Eachus
• White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach
• Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano
• White Plains Superintendent Joseph Ricca
• Yonkers Associate Superintendent Dr. Michelle Yazurlo
• Yonkers Board of Education President Dr. Rosalba Corrado DelVecchio
• Middletown High School Executive Principal William Donohue
• Newburgh Enlarged School District Superintendent Dr. Jackielyn Manning Campbell
• NYSUT Member Paulette Easterlin
• NYSUT Member Matt Haynes
• NYSUT Member MaryClaire Breslin
• Yonkers Federation of Teachers President and NYSUT at Large Board Member Samantha Rosado-Ciriello
• Yonkers Council of PTA's President Dr. Robin Brumfield

State Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, "I strongly applaud Governor Hochul for hosting this important roundtable and directing attention to the challenges of cell phone use in schools. We had a productive conversation about how to combat children's cell phone addiction to improve social interaction, mental health, and academic opportunity. Thank you to Governor Hochul and her team for convening this roundtable and the City of Yonkers for hosting."

I'm excited to keep working with all stakeholders to develop effective solutions to address smartphones and other devices in New York's schools

This listening tour builds on Governor Hochul's leadership on youth mental health and wellbeing, which has included signing a first-in-the-nation law to combat addictive social media feeds; expanding school-based mental health clinics and other resources; and launching the "Get Offline, Get Outside" campaign to encourage kids and families to put down their phone, take a break from social media and enjoy outdoor activities this summer.

The challenges presented by cell phones in schools also highlight the ongoing issue of learning loss, especially in the post-pandemic era. Studies show that when a student's attention is divided between two tasks, such as listening to the teacher and being on internet enabled devices, they recall and retain less of what is being taught. Governor Hochul's efforts here are the next step in ensuring our students' full attention is on learning.

Nation-Leading Laws to Protect Kids on Social Media

In June, Governor Hochul signed two major pieces of legislation that will help create a safer digital environment for New York's young people.

The SAFE for Kids Act requires social media companies to restrict addictive feeds on their platforms for users under 18. Unless parental consent is granted, users under 18 will not receive addictive feeds. Notably, the SAFE For Kids Act was the first law of its kind to be signed in any state across the nation.

The New York Child Data Protection Act will prohibit online sites and connected devices from collecting, using, sharing or selling personal data of anyone under the age of 18, unless they receive informed consent or unless doing so is strictly necessary for the purpose of the website.

Statewide Investments in Youth Mental Health

As part of her $1 billion investment in mental health statewide, Governor Hochul has also significantly expanded access to mental health care and resources for young people and their families. The Governor continued this focus on youth supports and services by securing additional investments in the FY25 Enacted Budget.

Governor Hochul took steps in her Enacted Budget to expand mental health support for children across the state and ensure their voices are heard, making good on an agenda she unveiled in her State of the State address in January. The Governor announced $20 million in start-up funding for school-based mental health clinics and launched a rolling application, which will make it easier for interested schools to establish these satellites. The announcement built on the $5.1 million awarded in November to support 137 new school-based clinics, including 82 at high needs schools, and bringing the total number of clinics to more than 1,200 statewide.

The Governor's FY25 Enacted Budget also includes an investment of more than $19 million to provide critical care to young people outside of school environments, including increasing resources for youth receiving treatment in their community or, when necessary, in residential care. Key initiatives such as the Youth Assertive Community Treatment teams, which provide wraparound services and support to young people at risk of entering residential or inpatient psychiatric treatment, have been expanded with $9.6 million to continue serving them at home and within their community whenever possible. Included in the investments to support children and youth, the Governor secured an additional $4 million to support a loan forgiveness program specifically for licensed mental health clinicians serving children and families.

Helping Young People "Get Offline, Get Outside"

This summer Governor Hochul launched the "Get Offline, Get Outside" campaign to promote physical and mental health by helping New York's kids and families to put down their phones, take a break from social media, and enjoy recreation and outdoor social gatherings. In addition to waiving pool fees at New York State Parks, expanding access to outdoor activities and other announcements, this campaign has already helped inspire major increases in attendance at State Parks this summer. State Park attendance over the July 4 weekend hit 2.8 million visitors statewide - an increase of 30 percent compared to the same period of time last year.

Contact the Governor's Press Office