Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cell Phone Ban topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Candidates outline approaches to implementing state’s bell-to-bell cell phone ban
Summary
Candidates said implementation should be phased with supports for students and clear communication with families; district has a student task force that has worked on recommendations.
Candidates at the League of Women Voters forum discussed how the Albany City School District should implement New York’s recently enacted bell-to-bell cell phone law.
Sreedhar Chitoor, the incumbent, noted that several local districts had already limited phone use and said adaptation “is going to be challenging” but manageable: “there will be a phase where people have to get used and adjusted to the system of not having this thing that they've been so addicted to.” He recommended providing social-emotional supports and means for students to contact families through school phones when needed.
Austin Wolfgang pointed to a district cell-phone task force that includes students, teachers, parents and administrators and said the board should “receive the recommendations from the task force” and convert them into workable policy. He also raised operational concerns: emergency notifications to parents, communication about pickup and after-school plans, and how teachers will send messages to students without personal phones.
Edith Leet said student routines and peer support will help and emphasized making classes engaging so students are not distracted by devices. All three candidates agreed the transition will require clear routines, communication with families and supports for students during adjustment.
