NYC families and teachers: How are your schools handling student cell phones?

A bird's eye view of a student working at a desk with a green apple and a cellphone.
Chalkbeat New York wants to hear about how your school is handling student cell phones, and the benefits and drawbacks of that approach. (Karen Pulfer Focht / Chalkbeat)

School cell phone policies are under the microscope nationwide. We want to hear what’s happening at your New York City school.

When students returned to in-person classes after learning remotely during the pandemic, some educators noticed that kids were increasingly attached to their phones. Now, more schools are experimenting with systems to keep phones out of students’ hands during the school day.

And in New York City, Mayor Eric Adams has railed against the dangers of social media for children’s mental health, declaring it a public health risk and filing a lawsuit against five leading social media companies.

But efforts to ban or curb cell phone use in schools have also generated significant pushback. Some parents worry they won’t be able to reach their kids in emergencies, while some students and educators say restrictive rules rob them of a critical tool and opportunities to use technology responsibly.

At Chalkbeat New York, we’re hoping to dive deeper into how schools are handling cell phones. We want to learn more about the policies schools are adopting – or avoiding – and the benefits and drawbacks of those approaches. Please fill out the short survey below to help direct our reporting.


The Latest

Iowa is the first state to get new funding flexibility from the Education Department. More states could follow — with much bigger asks.

Five board members suing over potential term cuts filed for a temporary restraining order Tuesday. But the state attorney general said pausing candidate filing would cause “electoral chaos.”

Separate proposals would also restrict phones in schools and allow parents to set stronger filters on school-issued devices.

The new mayor says parent coordinators should be organizers rather than administrators. Take our survey and tell us what you think.

The district will open 2 schools as part of the new North Philadelphia Promise Zone, even as officials plan on closing underutilized public schools in the city.

Mayor Mamdani will head to Albany with a bold plan for universal child care and debate the future of NYC school governance and class size mandates.