Republican New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte announced Thursday that she plans to ban cell phones from schools.
She stated her intention in her inaugural address alongside a number of other issues, according to a transcript.
“Screens are negatively impacting our learning environments, drawing students’ attention away from their classes, and becoming a barrier for teachers to do their jobs. No more,” Ayotte said. She posted her statement on X.
Today, I am also announcing that we will be taking action to ban cell phones in our schools.
Screens are negatively impacting our learning environments, drawing students’ attention away from their classes, and becoming a barrier for teachers to do their jobs — no more.
— Kelly Ayotte (@KellyAyotte) January 9, 2025
The governor did not further elaborate on the proposed ban in the speech.
Ayotte said “hard conversations” were needed about how to best prepare high school students for future careers. “We have done struggling students a disservice by passing them along when they don’t grasp the material at hand. This problem only snowballs the longer it goes on. We can’t allow our standards to slide because the student is the one who pays the price for our unwillingness to have tough conversations about whether they are truly prepared for the next step,” she said.
“I could not be more optimistic about our future, and I’m ready to work together to confront our challenges head-on and deliver for all New Hampshire,” Ayotte wrote on social media.
Thank you for the privilege of a lifetime to serve as your Governor.
I could not be more optimistic about our future, and I’m ready to work together to confront our challenges head-on and deliver for all New Hampshire. pic.twitter.com/ky5KdQrgqu
— Kelly Ayotte (@KellyAyotte) January 9, 2025
Other states have issued similar measures against the presence of cell phones in the classroom. Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order back in July that called for the restriction or removal of such devices from K-12 public schools. “This essential action will promote a healthier and more focused educational environment where every child is free to learn. Creating cell phone and social media-free educational environments in Virginia’s K-12 education system will benefit students, parents, and educators,” Youngkin said in a press release. (RELATED: ‘They’re Distracting’: Schools Lock Up Phones As Kids Struggle To Pay Attention In Class)
The Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) board voted in June to ban students from using cell phones during school hours. This ban issued by the second largest school district in the nation updated the previous directive issued in 2011 that banned student cell phone usage only during class instruction.
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
