Credit: Getty Images.

As New Yorkers mark five years since the COVID-19 pandemic upended lives and classrooms, students across the state continue to face daunting obstacles to learning. According to most recent data, test scores in fourth grade math and reading have languished since the pandemic, while educators report heightened concerns with students’ social and emotional skills. One culprit behind these struggles is getting increased scrutiny nationally and globally: cellphones.

According to the Pew Research Center, 72% of high school teachers report that........

© Times Union