Youngkin signs executive order to establish ‘cell phone-free education’ in Virginia public schools • Virginia Mercury

Virginia will soon implement guidelines aimed at limiting or eliminating student cellphone use during school hours.

On Tuesday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 33, which directs his administration to “heed the call” for parents, public health workers, educators and others by establishing cellphone-free policies and procedures for school departments, in light of growing concerns about children’s health and declining academic achievement.

The Virginia Department of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services, must clearly define what “cell phone-free education” means and publish model plans and draft implementation guidelines education without a mobile phone Per the governor’s directive, the schedule for Virginia K-12 schools will be posted on his website by Aug. 15.

The directive will establish “a clear goal of protecting the health and safety of our students by limiting the time they are exposed to ‘addictive’ cell phones and social media and eliminating ‘obvious distractions’ in the classroom,” Youngkin said in a statement.

The governor added that $500,000 from existing funds allocated to the Departments of Education and Behavioral Health and Developmental Services will be made available to implement the initiative.

The governor’s office said the funds will support state and local efforts to host family nights and community engagement events to address youth mental health issues, as well as micro-grant funding for education departments to help implement best practices for cellphone use in their communities.

As part of the policy development, departments will be required to hold listening sessions to solicit public input on “age-appropriate cellphone-free education policies and procedures, solicit feedback on best practices currently in place in Virginia public schools, and receive comments on the draft guidance,” the governor’s executive order says.

The departments are expected to release final guidelines by Sept. 16 of this year. The ordinance directs school boards to adopt the rules by Jan. 1, 2025, or sooner.

Youngkin’s order cites the American Psychological Association tests suggesting that teenagers who spend more than three hours a day on social media are twice as likely to suffer from poor mental health. The regulation also cited research that found children spend around 4.8 hours a day on social media, and that students who use their phones during lessons learn less and get lower grades.

“Therefore, creating a mobile phone-free learning environment in public schools is not only a prudent move but also a necessary measure to promote a healthier and more purposeful learning environment where every child has the freedom to learn,” Youngkin’s directive states.

Some school boards in Virginia have already begun banning or restricting the use of cellphones in schools. Legislation Authorizing local boards to enact such bans on cellphones and other “mobile communication devices” during regular school hours died last session.

James Fedderman, president of the Virginia Education Association, said in a statement that the organization is aware of growing concerns about the impact of cellphones on students in classrooms and believes it is “essential” to approach the issue with a “nuanced perspective that takes into account the real needs of our students and teachers.”

Fedderman, whose organization is the largest teacher advocacy group in the state, called on the Virginia Department of Education to work with teachers to develop balanced guidelines “that support effective teaching and learning while addressing legitimate concerns about distraction.”