Gov. Kathy Hochul visited Guilderland High School on Monday, July 15, to kick off a statewide listening tour addressing smartphone use in schools. The tour will consist of roundtable discussions with key stakeholders, including school district leaders, administrators and teachers. The listening tour is in support of the governor’s plans to announce a statewide policy proposal later this year addressing the use of smartphones in schools.
Guilderland Central School District Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marie Wiles facilitated the conversation and GHS Principal Mike Piscitelli and GHS Teacher Erin McNamara participated in the discussion.
In addition to GCSD staff, City School District of Albany Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter, Schoharie Central School District Superintendent David Blanchard, New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) President Melinda Person, NYSUT Representatives Laura Franz and Natalie McKay and Shenendehowa High School Teacher Molly Stammel took part in the discourse. Farnsworth Middle School Principal Michael Laster, Assembly Members Patricia Fahy and John McDonald and Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan were also in attendance.
The roundtable provided teachers and school leaders with the opportunity to convey their first-hand accounts and experiences regarding the effects of smartphones 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 where 72% of high school teachers stated students being distracted by cellphones is a major problem in their classroom.
