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

Rep. Gabby Salinas, a Memphis Democrat, wants to block civil immigration enforcement from using Tennessee school grounds or religious property as a staging ground.

In exclusive interviews, Chalkbeat spoke with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Chancellor Kamar Samuels about their plans for the nation’s largest school system.

A new state law requires all New Jersey school districts to prohibit the use of cellphones during school hours, but new policies must allow for exceptions.

Here’s what we know, don’t know, and need to know about American students' academic performance.

A new law calls on the state to create a task force that will identify the barriers keeping students out of school and develop recommendations for districts to follow.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state is taking an “unprecedented step” to commit to two years of child care funding despite looming federal budget threats.