MONTGOMERY — Governor Kay Ivey has signed Executive Order No. 745 establishing the Governor’s Commission on Screen-Based Instruction, a panel tasked with studying the use, risks and benefits of screen-based instruction in Alabama’s K-12 classrooms and developing evidence-based recommendations for its future use.
According to the governor’s office, the commission will examine how screen-based instruction affects student learning and development while evaluating ways technology can be used to support, rather than hinder, classroom education.
“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,” Ivey said. “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.”
The executive order builds on two recently enacted state laws addressing screen use in educational settings. The FOCUS Act, passed in 2025, prohibits student cell phone use in classrooms and requires local school boards to adopt internet safety policies. In 2026, Alabama also enacted the Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act, which limits screen time exposure for children in kindergarten classrooms and childcare facilities.
Ivey said those measures have produced positive feedback from educators, parents and students and that further study is needed to determine the appropriate role of technology throughout K-12 education.
“Traditional classroom teaching methods emphasizing human interaction must remain the core of a child’s learning experience,” Ivey said. “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.”
Representative Jeana Ross will chair the commission. Other members include Senator Linda Coleman-Madison, State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey, classroom teachers, school administrators, education specialists, a child psychologist, a parent representative, a technology director, a higher education researcher and a workforce representative from across Alabama.
The commission is expected to submit its final report to the governor, the Alabama Legislature and the State Board of Education by Dec. 1. Its findings will be used to help inform potential legislation on screen-based instruction during the 2027 legislative session.
