Formed by Joshua Sat & Alvin Chen ( Credit's at bottom)

Quick TLDR: ( To Students and Viewers)

Student safety is at risk when phones are banned. Parents opposing phones may lose the chance to contact their child in an emergency — possibly never hearing from them again.

Here's the Issue:

Governor Kathy Hochul signed the New York Child Data Protection Act and the Safe for Kids Act in June 2024, aiming to protect children’s online data and limit addictive social media for users under 18. She also banned cell phones in K-12 public schools as part of the FY 2026 Budget. This ban takes away a tool students rely on to contact parents, manage health issues, access class content, and stay safe during emergencies. It especially harms students with disabilities or language challenges. Parents can’t reach their children in emergencies, and teachers are forced to enforce a policy that ignores how phones support learning. Instead of creating a safer environment, this ban limits freedom and ignores students' diverse needs. If you're interested in learning the flaws that come with having phone's banned, please message jossat@bmchsd.org!

Governor Hochul's cell phone ban has serious consequences. It denies students a valuable tool for communication and safety, especially during emergencies like school shootings. Parents lose the ability to reach their children in times of need, and teachers are burdened with enforcing a policy that overlooks the role phones play in education. If this law stays in place, millions of students, parents, and teachers will continue to suffer, and it’ll be harder to reverse. Students, especially those with disabilities or language barriers, will lose a key resource that helps them learn and stay safe. The ban undermines trust in the education system and creates unnecessary stress for both students and families.

Now is the time to act. If we don’t, this ban could set a dangerous precedent for student freedom and safety. If it stays in place, millions of students, parents, and teachers will continue to suffer, and it’ll be harder to reverse. Let’s show that this law is harmful and that students deserve the freedom to use phones responsibly. Waiting too long could make it even harder to fix. Our voices need to be heard now while we still have a chance to make a change and protect students' ability to communicate, learn, and stay safe.

If you agree—Joshua Sat, Alvin Chen, and Aidan Cheung, 9th graders at Wellington C. Mepham High School, who maintain 98+ term averages, participate in multiple varsity sports and clubs, still using phones during lunch while succeeding—join us by adding your voice. 

Our Current Student Voices

• John F. Kennedy High School
• Wellington C. Mepham High School
• East Meadow High School
• Island Tree's High School
• Sanford H. Calhoun High School
• Grand Avenue Middle School
• M.S 51 
• And more to come!

In order for this to be accepted, we need a great quantity of signs from anyone. Please share the link to others you know!

Credits to:

Aidan Cheung

Aidan Tran

Lucas Lam

Anyone who shared it!!!