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Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Students full of questions about cellphone ban in North Dakota schools
Members of the Superintendent of Public Instruction's Student Cabinet discuss a new law banning student cellphone use in North Dakota public schools on May 14, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) North Dakota student leaders say they have a lot of unanswered questions after lawmakers passed a law requiring schools to be cellphone-free. Members of the Superintendent of Public Instruction's Student Cabinet met Wednesday in Bismarck to discuss new legislation that will affect students. Senate Bill 2354, which takes effect Aug. 1, prohibits public school students from having access to cellphones and other electronic devices in school from 'bell to bell.' But the students raised a lot of questions lawmakers may not have considered. Some students said laptops provided by schools are 'horrible' and wondered if they could continue using personal laptops to do school work. Another student said she views digital versions of her textbooks on a tablet so she doesn't have to carry heavy textbooks all day. Yet another student said she'll miss using her phone to access the digital calendar she uses to keep track of homework, after-school practices and appointments. 'I see a lot of uncertainties with a lot of the exceptions the students were bringing up,' said Bridger Rivinius, a junior at Gackle-Streeter Public School. 'I feel like it might be a slight overreach for the state government to have to be involved with that.' Gov. Kelly Armstrong was among the supporters of the bill. He has said it will help the next generation of students emotionally and academically. Gov. Armstrong advocates for eliminating student cellphone use in public schools The law requires cellphones to be silenced and stowed away in an inaccessible location during the school day. It gives school boards flexibility to craft their own policies around school-related noninstructional time, such as dances and sporting events. It also mandates that school districts collect data to measure the impact of the new policy on student behavior, mental health, disciplinary incidents, school attendance and academic performance. Gwyn Marback, a facilitator for the student Cabinet, said she expects there will be some 'fumbles' as school boards try to address issues with their new policies. 'They (state lawmakers) didn't think of everything,' Marback said. 'Hopefully, there's common sense when things arise.' Sophia Johnson, a sophomore at Bismarck Legacy High School, said her school has an open campus policy that allows students to leave school during lunch or a free period, which could be an issue in implementing the policy at her school. 'It might be a bit of a disaster,' Johnson said. 'We have the open campus and we really want to focus on the 21st Century learning and that involves using our phones.' She said some courses, such as media class, require students to use their phones to participate. 'All of that stuff is going to be really inhibited by this,' Johnson said. 'It really should be up to the teachers because they know their students the best. They know what's happening in their classrooms and they know how to work their students.' Aidan Pelton, a senior at Watford City High School, said his school already implemented a zero tolerance cellphone policy. He said kids still have their phones in school, but fewer than before the policy was implemented. 'I like the bill. I just think there's going to be a lot of problems with it,' Pelton said. 'I don't really love the less control at the school level. But, I think it is overall a good thing to have no phones in schools.' Addyson Rademacher-Nyame, an eighth grader at Mandan Middle School, testified in favor of the legislation at the Capitol. She said she finds it encouraging that each school board will be able to craft its own policy. 'It's going to be very interesting, especially this first try. It's going to be good to see the positive and negative results of it right away,' Rademacher-Nyame said. She said legislative fixes might be needed during the 2027 session to address problems that arise from implementing the bill. 'Every school in North Dakota is different,' she said. 'I want to see every angle about how every school developed and adapted to this bill and we'll go from there.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Newsom orders state agencies return to in-office work
The Brief The executive order directs state agencies to establish a new default expectation of at least four in-office days per week for employees by July 1. Newsom's office said "experience and research" shows in-person work fosters accountability, cohesion, creativity and communication. SACRAMENTO - California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday issued an executive order requiring state agencies to have employees begin coming into the office at least four days a week. The order – officially titled Executive Order N-22-25 – directs state agencies under Newsom's authority to revise their telework policies "to reflect a new default expectation of at least four in-office days per week" by July 1. The backstory Newsom's administration in April directed state agencies to mandate two in-office days per week for employees, with the justification that "experience and research" shows that in-person work fosters higher degrees of accountability, cohesion, creativity and communication, while also allowing more opportunities for mentorship and collaboration. The Monday executive order further justified the four-day in-office mandate by claiming that the benefits of in-person work are undermined by the "non-aligned" work schedules of employees working under the previous two-day in-office minimum. "State employees are the backbone of our government, and we are blessed in California with public servants who devote their time and talents to the smooth operation of critical services and public infrastructure," Newsom said. "In-person work makes us all stronger — period. When we work together, collaboration improves, innovation thrives, and accountability increases. That means better service, better solutions, and better results for Californians, while still allowing flexibility." Big picture view Newsom's order also directs state agencies to streamline the hiring process for former federal employees seeking employment in key roles, such as those in forest management, firefighting, natural resource management, healthcare and weather forecasting. Additionally, the executive order allows for telework flexibilities granted on a case-by-case basis, to be determined by an individual's circumstances. In accordance with Newsom's order, CalHR will issue statewide guidance on appropriate exceptions that will address employees whose positions require telework and employees who do not live near their duty stations who were hired with a mutually agreed-upon telework arrangement. The order also strongly encourages independent constitutional offices — including the Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Controller, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Treasurer, and Insurance Commissioner — to adopt similar in-office mandates to "improve operational efficiency." Local perspective Newsom's order comes the week after San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie set an April 28 deadline for a similar change which will affect 10,000 city employees. Lurie said the adjustment would improve in-office communication and boost the local economy. He has also pushed private companies to bring more workers back to downtown San Francisco to help the city recover from the pandemic.
