Troy High presenter Josh Monk says phone-management policy and partnerships 'transformed' student engagement

Josh Monk, a presenter for Troy High School, told the Troy City School District board the high school’s phone-management policy and expanded partnerships have produced visible improvements in student engagement and behavior.

Monk said the school’s twin priorities — reducing chronic absenteeism and strengthening community partnerships — are central to improving outcomes for all students. He credited a phone-management tool called Yonder with a “night and day” change in hallways, cafeterias and classrooms, and said phone-related disciplinary incidents dropped from the roughly 90% of disruptions reported last year to about 10% this year.

Why it matters: Monk argued that removing phones from students during the school day improved face-to-face interactions and students’ social-emotional well-being, and that those changes support academic gains. “It’s absolutely transformed Troy High School,” he said, describing louder, more social hallways and greater student participation in class.

Monk described multiple academic and career-preparedness programs that the district is expanding: an exclusive Regeneron after-school partnership that provides mentoring, on-site visits and end-of-year hardware awards; the Smart Scholars program that allows students to earn Hudson Valley college credits at no cost; an RPI STEM research program with paid Saturday work and a June symposium; and Career Discovery, which grew from 23 to 37 students this year with plans to expand further.

He also highlighted guest experiences and student leadership opportunities — from classroom visits by an astronaut to lobbying at the state capital — and listed individual student accolades including National Merit qualifiers, scholarship offers and competition placements.

Monk said the school is expanding supports (mentors, small-group literacy instruction and classroom resources) and that more than 140 students are paired with faculty mentors. On outreach, he described standard parent messaging and classroom presentations meant to increase awareness of college-and-career programs.

The presentation concluded with an emphasis on student advocacy: Monk said seniors who advocated to hold graduation outdoors exemplify the skills and leadership the district seeks to develop.

Looking ahead: Board members asked follow-up questions about how parents learn about programs; Monk said staff send messages home, make classroom presentations and follow up with interested students. No formal board actions were taken on the presentation.