GCSD Board of Education to consider a cellphone-free policy
On Monday, Dec. 9, 7-8:30 p.m., the Guilderland Central School District will host a panel discussion on distraction-free school environments. This is an information gathering session for the school community and will help inform a cellphone-free policy the Board of Education is considering. The panel discussion will be held in the Large Group Instruction (LGI) room of Guilderland High School. An in-person event, the session will be livestreamed to the GHS Media YouTube page and recorded.
The panelists slated to attend will provide a variety of perspectives and will include David Blanchard, Superintendent of the Schoharie Central School District that put a cellphone-free policy into effect at the start of the 2022-23 academic year. Mr. Blanchard will discuss the changes in learning, engagement and student socialization Schoharie schools have observed since implementing the policy.
Other panelists will include a Schoharie High School student, a member of the Guilderland Police Department, a licensed and certified school psychologist, a middle school teacher, a high school teacher and a high school administrator.
The GCSD school community will have the opportunity to submit questions they would like the panel to address via this linked form. We cannot guarantee all individual questions will be addressed during the session, however questions received will help shape the overall discussion.
About distraction-free school environments
Recently, distraction-free school environments have been getting a lot of attention on the national, state and local levels. Several area school districts have implemented cellphone-free policies, including neighboring Bethlehem Central School District in Sept. 2023.
In July 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul visited GHS to kick off a statewide listening tour addressing smartphone use in schools. The tour consisted of roundtable discussions with key stakeholders, including school district leaders, administrators and teachers. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marie Wiles facilitated the conversation with invited guests, which included GHS Principal Mike Piscitelli and GHS Teacher Erin Whalen. The roundtable provided teachers and school leaders with the opportunity to share their first-hand accounts and experiences regarding the impact of smartphones on learning and student engagement in schools.
Prior to the discussion, Gov. Hochul spoke about the need to protect the mental health of young people and the negative consequences social media and smartphones have on their wellbeing. She referred to a recent survey in which 72% of high school teachers stated that students are distracted by their cell phones and it is a major problem in their classroom.
Research suggests that increased use and exposure to smartphones has coincided with an increase in anxiety, depression and emotional isolation among school-age children, as well as a decrease in focus, physical activity and face-to-face social interaction. Studies show that these variables have resulted in lower academic achievement, an impaired ability to resolve conflict, and fewer students participating in sports, clubs or other extracurricular activities.
GCSD is committed to meeting the needs of the whole child. It is for this reason that GCSD is considering the creation of a distraction-free school environment.
Shortly after the Dec. 9 panel discussion, the district will launch a ThoughtExchange to gather community input and perspectives on a possible cell phone-free policy.