I recently ran into Robbie Saner Sullivan, School Committee at large candidate, at the Safe and Healthy Schools Summit hosted by the Northwestern DA’s Office and the Children’s Advocacy Center. She came to learn and listen to presenters and panelists talk about social media, smartphones, and digital technology in schools. The youth panel and school principals panel showcased the benefits of bell-to-bell phone free school policies, with overwhelming support and encouragement to all schools to follow suit. My own presentation was about policy solutions, at the school and legislative level, which was coupled with data showing the mental health implications of social media and phone free schools on youth in Hampshire and Franklin counties.
Robbie’s curiosity for and willingness to seek out commonsense solutions to complex problems makes her stand out. An example of this is her support for an all day phone free school policy — a simple intervention that will improve student mental health, academic outcomes, and social connectedness, and decrease disciplinary referrals, school violence, harassment/hate incidents and burden on our teachers.
More broadly, Robbie’s commitment to engage in meaningful and nuanced debate with civility will lead us from divisiveness towards collaboration. Drawing from her experience in public service and her many years of raising children in this very school system, Robbie will work toward securing a sustainable future for Northampton Public Schools. I urge you to vote for Robbie Saner Sullivan for School Committee at large on Nov. 4.
Emily Boddy, Smartphone Free Childhood US
Northampton