Schools in, Phones out?

By Nayaba Arinde
Editor-at-Large
@NayabaArinde1
“We are very much leaning towards banning cell phones,” said New York City’s Schools Chancellor David Banks. Having spoken to hundreds of school principals nationwide, he said of city students, “It’s very hard to get them to even talk to each other anymore. They’re buried in their phones.”

So, not quite the returning to “normal” times for students.
But still, yaay! Good news for EVERYBODY– school is back in session!
It’s that wonderful time of year for the love of learning, as ‘reading is fundamental’ vibes reverberate.

Students are backpack-ready – thankfully, a number of organizations like the Bed Stuy YMCA, the Brooklyn Hospital Center, Assemblywoman Phara Souffrant and the New York Restoration Project, and Greene Acres Community Garden held school supplies giveaways and helped families with that essential but expensive element. Children can reunite with their friends after the multi-week-long break; those dealing with food insecurity can get breakfast and lunch; others with social issues at home are able to take advantage of a layered support system.

Those familiar phones, though. They might just have to be put away. A ban may be imminent.
Mayor Bloomberg tried to implement it, Mayor Bill de Blasio reversed it, Mayor Eric Adams is seriously considering it, as is Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Chancellor Banks hints that it’s probably going to happen.

Parents and their children declare that they want to be able to reach each other in an emergency. Teachers counter that there are mainlines in the office, and social media distractions are disrupting learning in the classroom. Plus, advocates for the ban declare that some fights and conflicts are often organized and spread by students on their phones during the day.

If the rule is established, how will it be enforced? Will phones and smart watches be confiscated? Will phones be put in locked pouches?

“Cell phones, in my opinion, have no place in our public schools,” said Banks in an ABC7 interview, “and there’s a lot of research that talks about this from a mental health standpoint. It’s not been good. And from a safety standpoint, it’s not been good. So, we want to do something about this.

As you heard the mayor talk about this, there may not be a phone mandate just yet–but over the next couple of days, we’re absolutely going to have something to say about cell phones in schools.”

The Crown Heights PS167 alum, former school safety officer, teacher, assistant principal, and president & CEO of The Eagle Academy Foundation continued, “The reality for us is that we’ve come to a conclusion that kids should be able to bring their phones with them because they need to maintain contact and communication with mom, dad, grandma on their way to school, as well as when they’re heading home from school.

Those are safety issues and we take them very seriously. But, we do not see the real reason for having them in your English class and your math class when you’re in the seventh grade. It is not necessary, and in many ways deeply distracting, not just what the normal things kids do–but often their parents are texting them throughout the day.”

Solutions? Options?
“Those are the things that we’re looking to address. I don’t know that there’s always one size that fits all for a system this large. We have over 78,000 classrooms across New York City. It is the largest system in the nation by far.

The teachers, the principals, and many of the students themselves might have told me [phones in the classroom are a] major, major distraction, and we’re going to be offering up some support guidelines.”

In the summer, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill establishing the SAFE For Kids Act to put “First-in-the-Nation Restrictions on Addictive Social Media Feeds for Minors.”

Hochul said, “Young people across the nation are facing a mental health crisis fueled by addictive social media feeds – and New York is leading the way with a new model for addressing the crisis and protecting our kids. By reining in addictive feeds and shielding kids’ personal data, we’ll provide a safer digital environment, give parents more peace of mind, and create a brighter future for young people across New York.”

This week, the new normal returns. Back to school kids sauntering up the block, yellow buses in the middle of heavy traffic, and bacon, egg, and cheese orders keeping borough delis occupied in the morning.

However, the Department of Education and the NYC public school system are also having to tackle new issues such as the use of AI in the classroom and to do homework, a projected phone ban, and general security concerns. Many schools across the country are contemplating ending lockdown drills as they say the trauma they instill in children outweighs the benefit of prepping for a hopefully unlikely active shooter incident.

“Education and Artificial Intelligence are increasingly interconnected as technology advances – as the world evolves; as the combination offers new ways to enhance learning and personalize education,” educator Lawman Lynch, told Our Time Press. “However, it’s crucial to address ethical considerations such as data privacy, bias, and the potential impact on teachers and students. Balancing innovation with these ethical concerns ensures that AI’s integration into education benefits everyone involved.”

Long time Brooklyn resident and education activist, the CEO of CariGlo Diaspora LLC, a “human service and fintech company,” Lynch advocates for STEM education homework help, and fighting for underserved schools, shining the light on mental health issues, he is also the founder of Lawman Lynch Foundation Inc, (LLF), which supports child, youth, and community development.

With a master’s in educational leadership, he is working on his PhD on “Ethical Leadership in Education, the Private, and Public Sectors. “ His focus on the educational system is both personal and professional. With knives, guns, and threats to students and teachers, Lynch said that security in schools is an issue that, unfortunately, needs consideration.

“Ensuring the safety and security of students and other stakeholders in schools is crucial, but it must be approached with cultural sensitivity and an understanding of human behavior. Often, safety concerns are symptoms of deeper, systemic issues such as social inequality, inadequate resources, or unresolved conflicts,” said Lynch, who has recently announced his candidacy for the November 2025 City 41st Council District 6. “Addressing these root causes—such as improving community support, fostering inclusive environments, and providing adequate resources—can create a more secure and supportive school environment. This holistic approach helps in building a safer and more nurturing educational setting.”

“When you implement [the ban] and it fails, you have to come back again, over and over again. We saw that under previous administrations where bans were implemented just to have to go back and change it. I want to get it right.

“We will eventually have a system where cell phones won’t be in schools, but I want the inclusive thoughts of parents, children, educators. We want to sit down, see how to roll it out, come up with the inner workings of implementation.

Many people believe a great idea is fine to say, but implement it in a school system with a million children, and their feedback is so important to me. We already have schools that have bans in place. We’re looking at what they’re doing to see what works and what we can do to make it better.”