Teachers, staff, students and parents are sharing their support for the new Distraction Free Schools policy that bans all smart phones and smart watches in K-12 schools starting in September.
Since the implementation of the No Cell Phone/Distraction Free Schools policy at Howard L. Goff Middle School in September 2023, we have witnessed a powerful shift in our school culture – one marked by increased focus, stronger relationships, and a renewed sense of community.
At Goff, where students are required to store their phones in their lockers throughout the school day, the benefits have been immediate and impactful. Teachers report higher levels of student engagement, fewer classroom disruptions, and more meaningful face-to-face interactions. Students are spending more time collaborating, participating, and enjoying their school experience without the constant distraction of personal electronic devices. Parents, too, have expressed appreciation for a learning environment that prioritizes their child’s academic and emotional well-being.
By creating distraction-free environments, we are not just limiting device use – we are creating space for students to think, connect, and thrive. This policy affirms our district’s commitment to fostering healthy academic and social development, and we are proud to lead the way in ensuring our schools remain safe, focused, and student-centered.
Jim McHugh
Interim Principal of Howard L. Goff Middle School
The no-cell phone policy at Goff has been wonderful for teaching and learning. It has most certainly reduced distractions in the classroom and improved the learning environment for everyone! The policy has become an easy culture shift that students have quickly adjusted to. They just know that they have to put their phones away in their lockers when they come to school in the morning, and it has become part of their routine.
I didn’t see a single cell phone in my classroom this past year, and it was terrific! The administrators definitely help with enforcing the policy with frequent reminders over the announcements. Students have learned that while they are at Goff, the focus has to be on making human connections and learning. It has been a very positive change for our school and I wholeheartedly support it, as both a teacher and parent of a middle school student.
Laura Patton
Grade 7 ELA Teacher / Parent
Since the start of the school’s cell phone-free policy, I have observed a positive shift in student behavior and engagement. The policy was actually met with minimal resistance from students. Without the distractions of their phones, students no longer feel the need to check messages, monitor social media activity, or engage in online interactions during the school day. The absence of these pressures has significantly reduced incidents of cyberbullying during the school day.
Students are now more engaged with their classes and are enthusiastic about learning through “old-school”, interactive methods—such as working in groups to complete task cards, learning stations, and learning writing skills by hand with an actual pencil in hand! They are also developing stronger interpersonal skills, collaborating face-to-face with classmates they might not otherwise interact with outside of school. The removal of constant digital connectivity has allowed them to be more present, more communicative, and ultimately, more like the children they are!
The cell phone-free school day has proven to be an enormous positive change for our students, and for our entire school community!
Karen Lindberg
Grade 6 ELA Teacher / Parent
Distraction Free Learning has become a focal point as cell phones, social media, and other electronic devices have been shown to be a significant barrier to student engagement and learning in the classroom. The collaborative work of the district, including board members, administrators, teachers, parents and most importantly students, was to develop a roadmap designed to come up with solutions to these concerns. We hope that the work that has been completed will help us to achieve our collective goal of improving classroom instruction and teacher/student engagement in the classroom on a regular basis.
Dr. Kurtis Kotes
Superintendent of Schools
I am incredibly excited for this new policy to be implemented. This ban is going to benefit both teachers and students to form stronger bonds and relationships without the distraction of cellphones, especially because the ban is for the full school day. Genuine relationship building will lead to a healthier mental state for all in our schools.
Dan Wagner
Social Studies Teacher / EGTA President / Parent
Excessive smartphone use has long been recognized as a serious mental health risk. Taking a break from it during school hours should help students improve their focus, social interaction, and mental wellbeing.
Dr. Kevin Albert
Pediatrician / East Greenbush CSD Medical Director
At the beginning, I was really unsure about this new policy. However, the more I learned about the policy and its effects in other school districts, the more convinced I became that this is the right choice. Time and information is all we need to make this adjustment successful.
Manyata Madan ’26
Incoming Senior at Columbia High School
As the Career Readiness Teacher at Goff Middle School, my focus is to help students to develop the skills necessary for the world of work. In my class I teach students transferable skills necessary for all career paths as well as to support them to be good digital citizens. I’ve focused on preparing our youth to be competent, confident, and caring while managing their personal, family, and career lives. These topics 100% support the importance of having a ‘distraction free’ school day while keeping our children safe and prioritizing their social-emotional learning. As a teacher and a parent, I am a huge advocate for a distraction free learning environment. The use of cell phones during the school day causes disengagement during class time, constant interruptions, and the inability to communicate in a healthy manner with others. This change, which has already been established at Goff Middle School, has had a positive impact on our children socially, emotionally and academically, resulting in confident learners, hard workers, effective communicators, and good digital citizens, and in turn, has made my job as an educator truly enjoyable!
Heather O’Keefe
Career Readiness Teacher
While at first the Distraction Free Schools mandate from the governor may feel like a loss, I am excited to see everything our school community will gain from the new policy. Hearing about all the positive changes from schools that already implemented the policy, such as students socializing more in the lunchroom and developing better relationships with their teachers, I look forward to this opportunity for our students. Working with the students, faculty, administrators, parents, and school support staff on the cell phone committee, we had the opportunity to come together and develop a policy that we all feel will best support our teachers, staff, and students as they focus on their academics and relationships without screens between them.
Catherine Van Orden
Board of Education Member / Parent
As an English teacher and a member of the district cell phone committee (which included representatives for all stakeholders), I’m genuinely excited about the ban. When we visited other schools with bans already in place, it was clear that removing phones impacted communication and connection in a meaningful way. This policy will help our students get comfortable with a little discomfort instead of escaping into their phones/digital lives. Most importantly, I am confident that removing this distraction will have a significant positive impact on their focus and academic success. Given all of the evidence that already exists, I don’t see a downside for our students, our faculty, or our community.
Kate Hastings
English Teacher / Parent
I applaud the decision to implement this new policy during the 2025-26 school year for these reasons:
- the need to eliminate scrolling. texting, and filming distractions during and outside of class during the school day
- the need to reduce the opportunities for cheating
- the need to reduce the inherent “drama” that cell phones often foment between students, sometimes even among ones who barely know each other
- the opportunity to increase attention spans needed for critical thinking and timed reading and writing assignments in class
- the opportunity to sustain meaningful discussions in a classroom
- the time that will be saved in not having to tell my students to stow their devices away
Fred Rudofsky
English Teacher
I understand this to mean that the benefits of not having a phone during school hours outweigh the drawbacks, and that, over time, students, though initially resistant to the new policy, as I was, will adjust and come to recognize its value. As the advantages of the ban become clear, such as increased in-person social interactions, more focused learning, and a less anxiety-inducing environment, it will ultimately promote a school culture centered on distraction-free learning.
Mariam Conteh ’27
Incoming Junior at Columbia High School