MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday signed Executive Order No. 745 establishing the Governor’s Commission on Screen-Based Instruction to study the use, risks and benefits of screen-based instruction in Alabama’s K-12 classrooms and provide evidence-based recommendations on its use.
“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,” said Ivey. “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.”
This executive order follows the passage of the FOCUS Act in 2025, which prohibits cell phones in classrooms and requires local school boards to adopt internet safety policies, and the Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act in 2026, which limits the amount of screen time children in kindergarten classrooms and childcare facilities may be exposed to.
“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,” stated Ivey.
Ivey appointed the following Commission members to serve until the final report is submitted to the governor, Legislature and State Board of Education by Dec. 1.
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
The findings of the Commission will serve to inform new legislation addressing screen-based instruction that could be considered during the 2027 legislative session.
