Local control, not Hochul control, on cellphones in schools, Ed Commissioner says

And a deportation protection on the books would be repealed through a bill in the Legislature.

Good afternoon — it’s Wednesday and National Puzzle Day.

In today’s CapCon:

• State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa was asked by lawmakers Wednesday if Hochul’s school cellphone ban should allow more flexibility.

• Q&A: Here’s how top environmental officials in the Hochul administration answered the questions you’re interested in Tuesday.

• On The Bill: Should New York reverse a law that protects certain immigrants from deportation proceedings?

---

State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa testifies in Albany Wednesday (Will Waldron/Times Union)

🍎 State Ed supports local control on cellphones in schools, commissioner says

A common public misconception about the State Education Department is that it’s controlled by the governor, like other state agencies in New York.

But it’s not: The department is governed by the Board of Regents, who select the state’s commissioner of education — the administrator and face of the agency. The board also approves rules, regulations and certain pay raises.

That sets up a fun system in which the commissioner can publicly disagree with the governor or state Legislature without endangering their job.

That privilege was apparent when Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa testified at Wednesday’s budget hearing before the Legislature. The focus, as you can probably guess, was education. It’s still happening as this email lands in your inbox.

There were two big things to watch Wednesday: the state’s Foundation Aid formula and Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to ban cellphones in schools during class hours.

There genuinely wasn’t a lot of questioning about Rosa’s views on Hochul’s proposed changes to the Foundation Aid formula.

So let’s start with the cellphone ban. Hochul is proposing a statewide, blanket ban on the use of cellphones by students from the start of the school day until the final bell. Districts would have to develop their own plan to implement that ban by this fall.

“Each school district and (BOCES) shall adopt a written policy prohibiting the use of internet-enabled devices by students during the school day anywhere on school grounds,” the language in Hochul’s budget reads.

But that’s not necessarily what the Education Department supports, Rosa told lawmakers Wednesday.