Ivey Establishes Panel on Classroom Screen Time

Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday signed Executive Order No. 745 creating the Governor's Commission on Screen-Based Instruction, a panel charged with studying the role of digital devices in Alabama's K-12 classrooms and recommending evidence-based policies for future legislation.

The Commission will examine both the benefits and risks of screen-based instruction, with a final report due to the Governor, the Legislature and the State Board of Education by December 1. Its findings are expected to help shape education legislation during the 2027 Regular Session.

"Responsible use of classroom screen time is a top priority of my Administration, and while we are already making a difference by passing two signature laws to address it, we can still do more," Ivey said. "Children's overexposure to screens is a barrier to classroom learning and the acquisition of critical emotional and social skills. We must continue exploring the proper role of screen time in classrooms of all ages."

The executive order builds on two education measures approved during the past two legislative sessions.

In 2025, Alabama enacted the FOCUS Act, which bans student cell phone use during classroom instruction and requires local school boards to adopt internet safety policies. Earlier this year, lawmakers passed the Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act, making Alabama the first State to limit screen exposure for children in kindergarten classrooms and licensed child care facilities.

Ivey said both measures have produced encouraging results but argued that the State should continue reviewing how technology affects student learning.

"During the 2025 Legislative Session, I championed the FOCUS Act prohibiting the distracting presence of student cell phones in classrooms. Almost immediately, teachers, parents and even some children praised the new law which enabled students to focus on their classwork and reengage in classroom discussions with their peers.

"And, during the 2026 Legislative Session, I was proud to sign the Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act into law, making Alabama the first State in the Union to pass a law limiting the amount of time that our youngest learners are exposed to screens in classrooms and childcare facilities.

"Traditional classroom teaching methods emphasizing human interaction must remain the core of a child's learning experience. We must therefore build on our progress by exploring how K-12 classrooms can also benefit from adjusting screen access so that it enhances and does not detract from learning. The creation of this Commission sets that process in motion," Ivey said.

The Commission will be chaired by Rep. Jeana Ross (R-Guntersville) and includes lawmakers, educators, school administrators, technology specialists, child psychologist Dr. Nashedra Barry, University of Alabama early childhood education professor Dr. Cailin Kerch, and representatives from parents and Alabama's business community. Members will serve until the Commission submits its final report Dec. 1.

The Commission's recommendations will focus on determining how classroom technology can support instruction without replacing the face-to-face interaction that educators say is critical to children's academic, emotional and social development.

Members of the Commission include:

• Representative Jeana Ross (One Member of the AL House of Representatives) – Chair 
• Senator Linda Coleman-Madison (One Member of the AL Senate)
• Dr. Eric Mackey (State Superintendent of Education)
• Ms. Stephanie Pettis (One Elementary School Teacher) Teacher, Mobile County
• Ms. Laren Hammonds (One Middle/High School Teacher) Middle School Teacher, Tuscaloosa
• Ms. Kelli Fischer (School Principal) Principal, Opelika High School
• Mr. Brandy White (Local School Superintendent) Superintendent, Houston County
• Ms. Misty Wilson (Adolescent Literacy Specialist) Education Specialist, State Dept of Education
• Dr. Frankie Mathis (Curriculum Specialist) Assistant Superintendent, Saraland
• Dr. Nashedra Barry (Child Psychologist or Pediatrician) Child Psychologist, Children’s Hospital
• Ms. Brooke Gillis (Parent Representative) Innovation Depot, Birmingham
• Mr. Chris Jenks (Technology Director) Technology Director, Tuscaloosa City Schools
• Dr. Cailin Kerch (Higher Education Researcher) Clinical Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Alabama
• Ms. Amanda Salazar (Workforce Representative) Manufacture Alabama