ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -A new cell phone policy has been implemented at the Albany City School District starting this summer semester. It’s ahead of the bell-to-bell ban all schools in the state are starting in the fall.
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Students have to put their phones in Yondr pouches; bags that pin closed and are opened by magnets. Students can walk the halls while holding the pouches but they won’t be opened by staff until the school day ends.
The policy is the opposite of the District’s initial view on cell phones as classroom tools. “With social media and the algorithms, it’s just has become too daunting of a task. So like many districts in Albany, it was off and away during the day unless it was permitted use by the teacher,” said Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter.
Even during lunch, phones now stay locked up. Not every student is happy about the new rules…