Hi, I’m the student behind @Jfkstudentvoice on Instagram.

To begin with, New Jersey students are living under a new statewide school cell phone policy, and we deserve a meaningful voice in how that policy affects our everyday lives.

As a student, I’ve experienced the impact of strict phone restrictions firsthand. Under my school’s current implementation, students are expected to keep their phones secured throughout the school day, including during non-instructional times such as lunch. Having a phone out can lead to disciplinary consequences.

I understand why schools want to reduce distractions and keep students focused. This petition is not about wanting to spend the school day on our phones. It is about finding a reasonable balance between limiting unnecessary phone use and recognizing legitimate student needs.

Students may need to communicate with their families, deal with unexpected situations, or access important information. When a phone is confiscated, retrieving it can also create difficulties for families when a parent or guardian cannot immediately come to school to retrieve it.

Students, families, and educators should have a meaningful voice in determining how these policies work in real school communities.

What We Are Asking For:

We are calling on New Jersey policymakers and education leaders to review and improve the state’s school cell-phone policy and consider changes that:

Give students reasonable access to their phones during appropriate non-instructional times, where permitted by law;

Establish fair and consistent consequences for violations;

Consider students’ legitimate communication and safety needs;

Provide reasonable flexibility for individual circumstances; and
Include students, families, and educators in discussions about future changes to the policy.

This is not a demand to eliminate reasonable limits on cell-phone use in schools. It is a call for a policy that balances focus and structure with fairness, safety, communication, and the realities students face every day.

Students are directly affected by this policy. We should have a voice in what happens next.

If you believe New Jersey students deserve to be heard, sign this petition and share it with your classmates, families, educators, and communities.