Standing Ovation for Assemblyman Miller Legislation to Address Cellphone and Social Media Use in Schools

By Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight

Earlier this week, the state Senate unanimously passed a bill that would require the New Jersey Department of Education to set up a framework for school districts to follow to restrict cellphone use.

Assemblyman Cody Miller (D-Gloucester), who is among the sponsors on the Assembly’s version of the bill, said he expects the measure to be passed into law.

“Our teachers will be able to teach course materials without having unwanted interruptions and distractions in the classroom,” Miller said.

Education leaders have largely praised the plan.

“Different communities do have different needs, and the nuances of this issue certainly demand that local voices inform local decisions around the use of cellphones,” said Jonathan Pushman, senior director of advocacy for the New Jersey School Boards Association.

“I think the clear bottom line on this is instructional time needs to be preserved,” said Richard Bozza, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators.

“As long as those things can be addressed and we can get back to decreasing the stress that’s put on students by social media, and let them focus on learning, I think that’s the bottom baseline that we’re talking about,” Bozza said.