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 society elementary middle and high school students Youngkin who built his political career championing parents' rights in mentoring ceremoniously signed two versions of the bill HB and SB at the Carter G Woodson Middle School in Hopewell Virginia Youngkin mentioned 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 demands to be changed and that is to find freedom freedom from cellphones disclosed Youngkin who was flanked by his wife Virginia first lady Suzanne S Youngkin constituents school students schooling advocates and local politicians We come together in order to move a mountain Youngkin commented 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 EXAMINATION 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 vitality and safety of students in Virginia s K- general schools by issuing guidance on the establishment of cellphone-free teaching policies and procedures DC COUNCIL PROPOSES BILL TO BAN CELLPHONES IN DISTRICT'S CITIZENS 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 wellbeing and safety in our schools This regulation ensures that every school division adopts a full bell-to-bell strategy and removes cellphones from classrooms creating a distraction-free learning context Youngkin commented 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 rise and mental vitality In a Pew Research Center research more than of high school teachers noted cellphones distracting students in the classroom is a major predicament This wasn't just an issue It's a emergency And when we have a problem we have a unified call for action and that's what this gathering is all about this unified call for action Youngkin explained 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 occurrence inquiry and expected model for the Virginia Department of Education's cellphone-free tuition 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 declared The statewide regulation requires school boards to develop and inhabitants schools to enact policies to restrict participant cellphone use during the school day The law includes exceptions for students with individualized schooling plans Section plans or soundness 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