NYC Teachers Praise 'Remarkable' Change in Students Due to Phone Ban

Public school teachers in New York City are seeing a big difference in students since cellphones were banned from their classrooms, the New York Post reported Thursday.

The ban affects nearly one million children in New York’s K-12 and charter schools, and other states have also begun restricting smartphone use in schools.

According to Dr. Jessica Chock-Goldman, director of clinical services at Bard High School Early College of Manhattan on the Lower East Side, the change has been “remarkable” and has affected student behavior in a positive way.

“Kids actually talk to each other in school. They sit in the hallway, they engage, they laugh, they study. They play games,” she told the Post.

In April 2025, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said a $254 billion state budget deal, which included a “bell-to-bell” cellphone ban, was reached and explained it would help protect students, according to Breitbart News.

“Protecting our communities requires more than streets where people feel safe. We need classrooms where young minds can flourish, and that means eliminating once and for all the digital distractions that steal our kids’ attention,” Hochul said, adding, “We protected our kids before from cigarettes, alcohol and drunk driving, and now, we’re protecting them from addictive technology designed to hijack their attention.”

In August Breitbart News reported that 35 states and Washington, DC, had a form of student cellphone restriction and more states were following that trend:

For students, these new regulations mean adapting to new routines, such as placing their phones in magnetic pouches or designated lockers during class time. While some students initially resisted these changes, many are now recognizing the benefits of reduced distractions and improved focus in the classroom. Audreanna Johnson, a junior at McNair High School in suburban Atlanta, noted that although students were initially reluctant to turn in their phones, the resentment is “starting to ease down” as more students experience the positive effects of the policy.

A Fox News poll in December found that about two-thirds of American voters and parents supported the idea of banning younger teenagers from social media and removing cellphones from K-12 classrooms, per Breitbart News.

In an example of the benefits of student cellphone restrictions, a high school in Dallas, Texas, saw library book checkouts triple after implementing the ban, NBC 5 reported in February. The young people began reading more and engaging with each other. The change also led to parents who were against the ban being “pleasantly surprised” by the results, the outlet said.

Eighth grade social studies teacher Michael Simmon told the Post his students are more present, adding, “Students used to get a vibration on their phone or they try to hide the phone and check it. They no longer have that luxury. So now they’re focused on the lesson, on the assignment, on the task.”