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class="single-article__title"> Alabama governor pushes K-12 cell phone ban </h1> <div class="single-article__excerpt"> During a recent address, Kansas Gov. Kay Ivey announced legislation to ban students’ use of cell phones at K-12 schools. </div> <div class="single-article__meta"> <p class="single-article__author"> <strong>By</strong> <span class="single-article__author-names"><a href="https://statescoop.com/author/colin-wood/" class="" title="Colin Wood" rel="author">Colin Wood</a></span> </p> <p class="single-article__date"> <span> <time datetime="2025-02-06">February 6, 2025</time> </span> </p> </div>   <audio id="audio-player" src="https://wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com/statescoop/69206/english.openai.mp3"></audio> <div style="width: 100%; height: 100%; justify-content: flex-start; align-items: center; gap: 9px; display: inline-flex; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: -10px; font-size: var(--font-size-s1); font-family: var(--font-family-sofia); transform: translateY(-10px)"> <div style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; background: rgba(238, 238, 238, 0); border-radius: 55px; justify-content: flex-start; align-items: center; gap: 6px; display: flex"> <div style="width: 25px; height: 25px; justify-content: center; align-items: center; gap: 5px; display: flex"> <a href="#" id="play-audio-link" style="text-decoration: none; background: none; display: flex; align-items: center; transform: translateY(-2.5px);">  <svg id="play-icon" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 23 23" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="transform: translateY(2.5px); display: block;"> <path d="M19.6319 3.36807C15.1412 -1.12269 7.85884 -1.12269 3.36807 3.36807C-1.12269 7.85884 -1.12269 15.1412 3.36807 19.6319C7.85884 24.1227 15.1412 24.1227 19.6319 19.6319C24.1227 15.1412 24.1227 7.85884 19.6319 3.36807ZM16.5248 12.204L12.9322 14.2673L9.4124 16.3063C9.29103 16.4034 9.12111 16.452 8.95119 16.452C8.48997 16.452 8.12586 16.0879 8.12586 15.6266V11.5V7.34908C8.12586 7.20343 8.15013 7.08206 8.22295 6.93641C8.44142 6.54802 8.95119 6.40237 9.33958 6.64512L12.8836 8.68417C12.9079 8.68417 12.9079 8.70844 12.9322 8.70844L16.5248 10.7718C16.6462 10.8446 16.7433 10.9417 16.8404 11.0631C17.0588 11.4757 16.9132 11.9855 16.5248 12.204Z" fill="black"/> </svg>  <svg id="pause-icon" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 17 17" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="transform: translateY(2.5px); 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width: 400px; background-color: black; color: #fff; text-align: center; border-radius: 5px; padding: 5px 0; position: absolute; z-index: 1; bottom: 125%; margin-left: -200px; opacity: 0;"> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. </span> </div> </div>  </div> <div class="single-article__cover-wrap"> <figure class="single-article__cover"> <img width="1012" height="675" src="https://statescoop.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/GettyImages-2184594131.jpg?w=1012" class="single-article__cover-image wp-post-image" alt="students using phones" style="" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://statescoop.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/GettyImages-2184594131.jpg 1300w, https://statescoop.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/GettyImages-2184594131.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://statescoop.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/GettyImages-2184594131.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://statescoop.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/GettyImages-2184594131.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://statescoop.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/GettyImages-2184594131.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https://statescoop.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/GettyImages-2184594131.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https://statescoop.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/GettyImages-2184594131.jpg?resize=505,337 505w, https://statescoop.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/GettyImages-2184594131.jpg?resize=1012,675 1012w, https://statescoop.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/02/GettyImages-2184594131.jpg?resize=1264,843 1264w" sizes="(max-width: 1012px) 100vw, 1012px" /> <figcaption> High school students using their phones during recess at the Lycee Aristide Maillol in Perpignan in the Pyrenees-Orientales department in the South of France on November 14, 2024. (Jc Milhet / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images) </figcaption> </figure> </div> </header> <div class="single-article__content"> <div class="single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap"> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body> <p>During <a href="https://www.alreporter.com/2025/02/05/a-full-transcript-of-gov-iveys-2025-state-of-the-state-address/">her State of the State address</a> on Tuesday, Kansas Gov. Kay Ivey announced a plan to ban K-12 students from using cell phones at school.</p> <p>In a speech that highlighted workforce development, economic growth, public safety and state pride — “Y’all, if there is one thing to know about us Alabamians, it is to never count us out,” Ivey said near the top of her address — she also unveiled new efforts to reform the state’s education, starting with the technology ban. Mobile phones are “fantastic tools,” she said, but that students should only use outside of school hours.</p> <p>“We have also learned from parents that teens are spending an average of almost five hours every day on social media, and it is having a negative impact on their wellbeing,” Ivey said, a reference to a body of <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10476631/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">research showing</a> that social media has been linked to various ill effects among teenagers, including increased rates of depression and suicidality.</p> <p>Ivey, 80, pointed to legislation being drafted by state Sen. Donnie Chesteen and Rep. Leigh Hulsey that would prohibit students from using phones at school. She said the legislation would also require school boards to adopt internet safety policies and provide students with social media training. Neither lawmaker answered requests for more information.</p> <div class="ad ad--inline_1 "> <div class="ad__inner" style="min-width: initial; min-height: initial;"> <span class="screen-reader-text">Advertisement</span> <div data-loadad="0" class="ad__embed" id="ap_inline_1"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ap_inline_1'); }); </script> </div> </div> </div><p>Ivey’s push for banning phones from schools is part of a broader education agenda that has seen progress in recent years. Ivey pointed out during her speech that Alabama is now ranked among states and territories as 34th in reading, up from 49th when she first took office in 2017, and 32nd in math, up from 52nd.</p> <p>“Ladies and gentlemen, our students, teachers and families are changing the narrative when it comes to education in Alabama,” Ivey said. “We are, in fact, not just a football state — Alabama is an education state.”</p> <p>Stephen Katsinas, a professor and director of the Education Policy Center at the University of Alabama told StateScoop he supports the measure.</p> <p>“The Silicon Valley developers of cellphones prohibited their own children access,” Katsinas wrote in an emailed statement. “There’s good reason why: they distract from learning. I strongly support the efforts of Governor Ivey, Superintendent Mackey, and our legislators to ban cell phones during instructional hours at schools. It’s just good public policy.”</p> <p>New York Gov. Kathy Hochul <a href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-unveils-plan-restrict-smartphone-use-schools-statewide-and-ensure-distraction?utm_source=chatgpt.com">proposed a similar ban</a> during her State of the State address last month, along with a requirement that schools provide students alternative means of calling their parents during the day. New York’s push for “distraction-free learning” also includes a proposal for $13.5 million to provide ways for schools to store student devices.</p> <div class="ad ad--inline_1 "> <div class="ad__inner" style="min-width: initial; min-height: initial;"> <span class="screen-reader-text">Advertisement</span> <div data-loadad="0" class="ad__embed" id="ap_inline_2"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ap_inline_2'); }); </script> </div> </div> </div><p>The Pew Research Center <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/06/12/72-percent-of-us-high-school-teachers-say-cellphone-distraction-is-a-major-problem-in-the-classroom/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">last year published research</a> showing that 72% of high school teachers believe cell-phone distraction is a “major problem” in their districts, compared to 33% of middle-school teachers and just 6% of elementary school teachers.</p> </body></html> <footer class="single-article__footer"> <div class="author-card"> <div class="author-card__avatar"> <figure class="author-card__image-wrap"> <img class="author-card__image" src="http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/ea8b076b398ee48b71cfaecf898c582b?s=192&d=mm&r=g" alt="Colin Wood"> </figure> </div> <div class="author-card__details"> <h4 class="author-card__name">Written by Colin Wood</h4> Colin Wood is the editor in chief of StateScoop and EdScoop. He's reported on government information technology policy for more than a decade, on topics including cybersecurity, IT governance and artificial intelligence. colin.wood@statescoop.com Signal: cwood.64 </div> </div> <div class="single-article__tags-container"> <h4 class="single-article__tags-title">In This Story</h4> <ul class="single-article__tags"> <li class="single-article__tag"> <a href="https://statescoop.com/tag/kay-ivey/" class="single-article__tag-link"> Kay Ivey </a> </li> <li class="single-article__tag"> <a href="https://statescoop.com/tag/technology-news/" class="single-article__tag-link"> technology news </a> </li> <li class="single-article__tag"> <a href="https://statescoop.com/tag/government-news/" class="single-article__tag-link"> government news </a> </li> <li class="single-article__tag"> <a href="https://statescoop.com/tag/cell-phone-ban/" class="single-article__tag-link"> cell phone ban </a> </li> <li class="single-article__tag"> <a 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0-.518.517.517 0 0 0-.451-.255h-2.81V7.416h2.81a.517.517 0 0 0 .451-.255.519.519 0 0 0 0-.518.517.517 0 0 0-.451-.255h-2.81v-.144c0-2.47 2.047-4.464 4.608-4.464ZM5.862 9.535a.447.447 0 0 0-.353.45v2.57c0 3.957 2.85 7.28 6.6 8.012v3.292h-3.34c-.978 0-1.783.807-1.783 1.782v.755h13.296v-.755c0-.975-.805-1.782-1.783-1.782h-3.275v-3.292c3.75-.733 6.6-4.055 6.6-8.013v-2.57a.449.449 0 1 0-.9 0v2.57a7.258 7.258 0 0 1-14.516 0v-2.57a.448.448 0 0 0-.498-.449h-.048Zm7.306 11.144c.165.01.332.032.498.032.167 0 .333-.022.498-.032v3.164h-.996v-3.164Zm-4.4 4.207h3.742c.042.01.084.016.128.016h2.056a.526.526 0 0 0 .112-.016H18.5c.33 0 .548.217.659.498H8.11c.11-.28.327-.498.659-.498Z" /></svg> Shared services, AI cost key concerns for New York’s CIO </a> </h4> </div> <div class="podcast-card "> <div class="podcast-card__thumb"> <div class="podcast-card__image-wrap"> <img width="300" height="164" src="https://statescoop.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/Priorities-Guest_thumbnail-14.png?w=300" 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