Youngkin signs Virginia law limiting 'bell-to-bell' cellphone use in public schools

Republican Virginia Gov Glenn Youngkin signed a bill into law Friday limiting cellphone use for all Virginia community elementary middle and high school students Youngkin who built his political career championing parents' rights in teaching ceremoniously signed two versions of the bill HB and SB at the Carter G Woodson Middle School in Hopewell Virginia Youngkin disclosed it was a fitting location for a day filled with such hope When we come together elected agents administrators teachers parents and all of you we can move mountains and we can change something that necessities to be changed and that is to find freedom freedom from cellphones mentioned Youngkin who was flanked by his wife Virginia first lady Suzanne S Youngkin population school students coaching advocates and local politicians We come together in order to move a mountain Youngkin noted as he highlighted the negative effect of cellphones in schools on mental illness conduct in class academic performance and interpersonal relationships TEENS SPEND MORE THAN A QUARTER OF THEIR TIME AT SCHOOL ON PHONES NEW EVALUATION FINDSThe bill strictly limits the use of phones in classrooms to reduce distractions and disruptions codifying Youngkin's executive order signed last year to protect the fitness and safety of students in Virginia s K- general schools by issuing guidance on the establishment of cellphone-free mentoring policies and procedures DC COUNCIL PROPOSES BILL TO BAN CELLPHONES IN DISTRICT'S POPULACE SCHOOLS We are building on the foundation laid by Executive Order to make Virginia the national leader in restoring focus academic excellence in the classroom and restoring healthcare and safety in our schools This decree ensures that every school division adopts a full bell-to-bell guidelines and removes cellphones from classrooms creating a distraction-free learning climate Youngkin mentioned as he signed the bill into law Research indicates using cellphones in the classroom can have a negative effect on students' grades social skills emotional expansion and mental healthcare In a Pew Research Center analysis more than of high school teachers announced cellphones distracting students in the classroom is a major concern This wasn't just an issue It's a emergency And when we have a dilemma we have a unified call for action and that's what this gathering is all about this unified call for action Youngkin announced Friday Hopewell City Citizens Schools adopted a pouch system in its secondary schools at the start of the - school year which has been used as a development research and foreseen model for the Virginia Department of Education's cellphone-free learning rollout I want to add my appreciation for Hopewell's leadership because it was your leadership that inspired the executive order that I wrote last summer Youngkin reported The statewide statute requires school boards to develop and masses schools to enact policies to restrict apprentice cellphone use during the school day The law includes exceptions for students with individualized mentoring plans Section plans or robustness conditions so cellphones can be used when medically necessary The law also prohibits schools from suspending expelling or removing students from class for violating cellphone policies Florida became the first state to pass a law regulating cellphone use in schools in More than half of all states now have similar laws in place