AACTE’s Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy Testifies in House Hearing on Screentime in Schools

(June 10, 2025, Washington, DC) — AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) President and CEO Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Ph.D., testified today at a House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education hearing titled “Screentime in Schools” to express increasing concerns around screen use among K-12 students and its effects on the nation’s young learners.

Holcomb-McCoy highlighted the need to restore federal support for educator preparation grants and programs to ensure educators are well-prepared to address screentime in the classroom and the options for finding healthy balances.

“Excessive screen use via smartphones … is harming children’s development, their mental health, and academic progress,” Holcomb-McCoy said. “Children, as young as 8, now spend four to six hours daily on screens; teens average nearly nine. While some of it is instructional, most of it is not. And teachers are reporting rising distractions in class. Sadly, most educator and counselor preparation programs still do not include training in screentime science, digital wellness, or media literacy. And this, I believe, is a serious gap in the preparation of future educators.”

Holcomb-McCoy went on to assert that investments in educator preparation through federal grant programs such as Teacher Quality Partnerships (TQP), Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED), Teacher and School Leader Incentive (TSL), August F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Personnel Preparation Part D can prioritize these topics. She also advocated for federal investment in research to evaluate programs that minimize student usage of smartphones and other technology in classrooms. She expressed concern that grants created under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which enabled schools and districts to hire psychologists, counselors, and social workers, have been part of major cuts by the Trump Administration.

Other witnesses included, Matthew Gibbins, assistant superintendent at Richardson Independent School District in Richardson, Texas; Rich Nye, special advisor to education for Utah Governor Spencer Cox; and Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University who highlighted issues like classroom distraction, effects on development, and misuse of district-provided technology, as well as active solutions school districts are implementing to combat overuse.

Ranking member Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) asked why it is important for the federal government to continue its commitment to support educator preparation and development.

“We do know through our research over many years that teachers play [a critical role] in academic achievement,” Holcomb-McCoy said. “So, training teachers, preparation for teachers, and educators, in this digital age, is so important. We have many teachers who are not trained to use technology responsibly in the classroom. There could be positive screen time that benefits students. Educator preparation and teacher preparation are still key when we talk about academic achievement and academic progress.”

A recording of the full hearing is available to watch on YouTube. Holcomb-McCoy’s full written testimony is available to read on the AACTE website.

# # #

About AACTE

Established in 1948, AACTE is the leading voice in educator preparation. AACTE’s member institutions and programs prepare the greatest number of professional educators in the United States and its territories, including teachers, counselors, administrators, and college faculty. These professional educators are prepared for careers in PK-12 classrooms, colleges and universities, state and governmental agencies, policy institutes, and non-profit organizations. Learn more at aacte.org.