Gounardes urges Council to codify policy, require ed tech inventory, and support FOCUS Act

None of this work is meant to displace the council's role, and there is work here that only you can do, and I would respectfully suggest four places to start.

Codify an appropriate screen time and AI policy in local law so that it survives this administration or any administration.

Require the department to publish a complete inventory of every ed tech product in use in city schools, what it costs, and what evidence there is to support using it.

Require independent evaluation before any significant contract is renewed.

And guarantee in writing that families are notified of their right to a non-digital alternative, with particular care that students with disabilities keep every piece of assistive technology that they need to rely on.

Nothing in this effort should ever come at the expense of a child who needs a device to access the curriculum.

And I want to be unambiguous about that point.

I would also welcome the Council's formal support for the FOCUS Act as the Legislature reconvenes to do its work up in Albany this January.

I have spent several years engaged in this work.

The Safe for Kids Act now has final rules from the Attorney General and takes effect in January of next year.

The Child Data Protection Act that I authored is already law.

We've passed laws requiring social media warning labels, Stop Online Predators Act, and one of the strongest AI safety laws in the country.

Every one of those fights that I've taken on has followed the same pattern.

An industry insisted that it could police itself, families who said otherwise, and the law eventually catching up.

We are at this same point with ed tech.

Schools should be places where children read, write, argue, and struggle with a problem.

And learn from an adult who knows them, not an AI robot teacher.

Technology has a real role in preparing students for the world they will inherit, and I'm not asking anyone to pretend otherwise.

I'm just suggesting and I'm just asking that we stop letting the companies decide the terms.

Thank you again to both chairs and the members of these committees and the council for taking on this work, and I'm eager to work with you as partners in government to get this work done.

Thank you.

Thank you, Senator.

It's very clear you went to a good college.

Hunter.

It was Hunter.

It was Hunter.

Hunter.

CUNY.

I just want to reference, before we go into the assembly moment, reference one point.

I didn't get to ask this, but I do want to share it on the record that as part of the state law for banning phones in school, which is great,

It says no later than September 1st, 2026, New York City Public School must publish a report on its website detailing enforcement of the cell phone and electronic device policy, including

non-identifiable demographic data of students who have faced disciplinary action for noncompliance and analysis of any demographic disparities in enforcement of this policy.

It's a report that's important, but one that we are unable to find.

But did want to highlight that as we do still have members of the DOE here, members of the public, and it's referencing the law that you referenced in your testimony.

So thank you, fellow Hunter grad.

Thank you so much, Senator Gornardis, for your work on this, for the FOCUS Act, and all our partnership.

I'm looking forward to keep pushing on this issue, too.

Senator Simon?