Youngkin orders Virginia schools to go cellphone-free

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) on Tuesday ordered schools in his state to go cellphone-free, as similar bans on technology take hold in schools across the country.

Youngkin issued the executive order directing the Virginia Department of Education to draft guidance for public schools to adopt cellphone-free policies. The department will also work with teachers, parents, students and other leaders to create procedures “that establish the age-appropriate restriction or elimination of cell phone use during instructional time.”

The goal of the order is to limit the amount of time students are “exposed to addictive cell phones and social media” and to reduce distractions in the classroom, Youngkin said in a statement.