CAPTION: President of the Hutchinson USD 308 Board of Education Laura Corey. CREDIT USD 308
By Michael Glenn
President of the Hutchinson USD 308 Board of Education Laura Corey was appointed to the Kansas State Department of Education’s “screen time” task force.
The committee will discuss the benefits and downfalls of cell phone policies for schools across the state, with representatives from the Kansas Legislature, the State Board of Education, state superintendents, local board of education members, parents, teachers and five students.
“Something came out from KSDE that they were going to do this, and then they sent out an email that said they were looking for about 10 more spots, and I sent in my name and said I would be interested,” Corey said. “There was not a formal application process but I nominated myself.”
Corey said as a parent, it can be difficult to navigate and monitor screen time and phone policies. She said she is looking forward to the committee and seeing what direction cell phones go from there.
“As a parent, I think it would be helpful if there were some clear-cut guidelines, and if I knew what the school’s expectations with devices, that would help me as a parent,” Corey said. “I’m super excited. I also like the community around it with the different districts and community perspectives.”
Corey is a mental health specialist and said she is hoping to bring a level of expertise to the table and she is excited about starting.
“I like making decisions collectively because I think they’re going to come up with a potential policy recommendation for districts to follow, and when people can make decisions like that, I think it would help if we can make a recommendation that makes sense for all districts,” Corey said.
The committee will meet weekly on Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
