On Tuesday, NYC Mayor Eric Adams (D-NY) held a press briefing on Mental Health Week.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Everyone, welcome to PS35.
00:03I'm Suzanne Miles-Gustav,
00:05New York City's Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services.
00:09As you might know, this is my first public appearance as
00:11a new DM and I couldn't be happier to be with
00:15this team and continue to make progress for all New Yorkers.
00:19We're here this morning to talk about an important issue.
00:22That has affected all of us over
00:24the past several years and that is mental health.
00:26In particular, how we're continuing to act to
00:30support the mental health needs of our young people.
00:33So before I turn things over to
00:35the mayor to share some details,
00:37I want to acknowledge who's here with us today.
00:39So along with Mayor Adams,
00:41we have New York City Public School
00:42First Deputy Chancellor, Dan Weisberg.
00:45New York City Health and Hospital President and CEO,
00:49Dr. Katz, PS35 Principal, Graciela Navarro.
00:56Nellie Scheel, a counselor from
00:59the Francis C. Carter School in Brooklyn, Councilor Scheel.
01:03So with that, I'll turn the mic over to Mayor Adams.
01:05Thank you. Thank you so much, Deputy Mayor.
01:09This issue is an important issue.
01:14When we held our youth town halls,
01:19I was surprised to see how much this issue came up.
01:23The young people talked about finding
01:27real places to deal
01:30with some of the mental health issues that they were facing,
01:34and it's just challenging being a young adult now.
01:37They're inundated with so many different
01:41stimuli that are negative in nature.
01:44We have to be honest about the conversation,
01:49not only citywide and in general,
01:53but specifically in black and brown communities.
01:55We know in black and brown communities that it is
01:59a well-kept secret that you do not
02:02acknowledge mental health disorders.
02:05You're silent about it.
02:07Matter of fact, in many cases,
02:08you are ashamed.
02:09Many parents feel as though when they place
02:13their children in the care and needs,
02:16that they're stigmatized,
02:18they're placed on different career paths,
02:21and it's a real concern.
02:23And this silent suffering of just dealing with the trauma.
02:28Can you imagine if you're a young person,
02:31and the night before there was a shooting
02:33and you lost one of your classmates or best friends?
02:37Or if you're living in a domestic violence situation,
02:40watching your parent being abused in the household.
02:45I remember when I was a young police officer,
02:48young girl used to sleep with a coat on every night
02:52because she was being abused by some of the male members
02:57in her household.
02:59And these children carry this.
03:00And we ask why academically they're not achieving.
03:06You can't do multiplication and division
03:08when you are divided,
03:10when you're struggling,
03:11when you're hurting,
03:11when you're suffering.
03:13And we have to be trauma identifiers.
03:15We have to be able to see what are some of the tell signs
03:20that a child is going through some form of trauma.
03:23And so I really take my hat off to our teens,
03:27what Dr. Katz is doing,
03:28with the New York City Public School,
03:31what they're doing,
03:32and our partners.
03:33And the everyday teachers.
03:34I was speaking with the parent coordinator
03:37who talked about what inspired her.
03:41She saw a young boy punch his mother in front of her.
03:46These children are hurting.
03:48And hurt people hurt people.
03:51And they're going into environments
03:53where there's a lot of pain.
03:56And this is not pretty work.
03:58This is what we're doing is extremely challenging work.
04:02And we have to be willing to do just that.
04:06That is what we're doing today.
04:08Peeling back the layers,
04:09dealing with all of the rivers that feed the sea
04:12of mental health disorder.
04:13And we have to dam each one of them
04:15and create new rivers and new streams.
04:17And so I just want to personally say
04:19how important this is for me,
04:22that we get this right in the things we have been doing.
04:25And this is why we're kicking off Mental Health Week,
04:28where we are uplifting many of the ways
04:31we're helping New Yorkers take care of their mental health.
04:34Not only young people by being in a school,
04:36but even older adults.
04:38Loneliness is the equivalent of having a bad smoking habit.
04:44And there are places across the globe
04:46that they have loneliness as ours.
04:48Many of our older adults are living in environments
04:51where they are alone.
04:52And that plays on your health.
04:55It's one of the social determinants of health.
04:57And we're examining all of those areas.
05:00So the conversation I've been having with our young people
05:04is telling, they're saying both verbally
05:07and in their actions that they want help, they need help,
05:10and we're supposed to supply them that help.
05:12And too many people are struggling.
05:15It can affect us all no matter our age,
05:17but mental health issues have had devastating impacts
05:21on our young people and the city.
05:23And after COVID, it appears as though
05:26it has elevated to a higher level.
05:28That's why throughout this administration,
05:30we made it a priority to focus on mental health
05:33and to gather the resources that our young people
05:37and the people of this city need.
05:38And since the start of the administration,
05:40we have made access to mental health care
05:43for young people a priority.
05:45In 2023, we became the only public school system
05:49in the country to bring yoga and mindfulness curriculum
05:53to our students from pre-K through 12th grade.
05:57And many people did not understand how significant it was,
06:00although the science showed how it could regulate
06:04one's nervous system by learning how to breathe correctly
06:07and mindfulness, it was cutting edge thinking
06:10and our desire to think outside the box, and we did it.
06:14Administration launched plant-based food focus menus
06:20on public schools on Fridays,
06:21encouraging students to eat more plant-based foods,
06:25taking care of their minds and their bodies, food matters.
06:29And we should not be feeding the healthcare crisis.
06:32We should be doing everything that's possible
06:34to teach good habits to our young people.
06:37We issued a health commissioner advisory,
06:39declared unfettered access to social media
06:43by our young people a public health hazard.
06:46And we sued the five media platforms for their roles
06:50in fueling the nationwide mental health crisis
06:53among young people.
06:55The science is clear.
06:57The same way we saw the clear science
06:59with other things that are dangerous,
07:03we monitor our children's access to dangerous things.
07:06Social media is a problem, increasing suicidal ideations,
07:10increasing depression, increasing actions and behaviors
07:15that are dangerous for young people.
07:17And we're gonna continue to stay in that place.
07:19And we're really proud of what we did with Teen Space,
07:21New York City Teen Space,
07:23a free tele-mental health service available
07:27to all teens in New York City
07:29between the ages of 13 and 17
07:31to seek mental health support.
07:33And there's so much more we have done,
07:35but we have not ignored this issue.
07:38And we're going to continue to move in the right direction.
07:41And today, we're proud to announce and celebrate
07:46the opening of the 16th school-based mental health clinic.
07:51It will bring in-person.
07:52It will bring in-person services
07:57to more than 6,000 students in our public schools
08:01in the South Bronx and Brooklyn.
08:04These clinics will offer individual family
08:07and group therapy on a face-to-face level
08:10and will enable teachers to get training
08:12to ensure students are supported.
08:16These are places where our children know they have support.
08:20We under appreciate the value of a school building.
08:24It's the focal point of a community
08:27by tearing down the barriers and walls
08:29that allow the outside institutions
08:32to partner with our schools.
08:34These are early identifiers of problem.
08:36And the partnership with Lincoln Hospital
08:38is going to allow us to identify a problem early
08:42and give that continued support.
08:44And it's a huge win for us all.
08:46Now, this is something that Dr. Katz
08:47has done over and over again.
08:49How do we use these locations as early identifiers
08:53for housing, for mental health need,
08:55for food needs?
08:59He has really utilized the health and hospital
09:02as an early identifier
09:04to help some of these long systemic problems.
09:07We opened the clinics in neighborhoods
09:08with the highest rates of school intervention
09:12and suspension.
09:13That's proactive.
09:15The goal is prevention and intervention.
09:18We created an upstream solution to downstream problems.
09:22This initiative also builds
09:23on our mental health continuing partnership,
09:27which serves over 20,000 students and 50 schools,
09:30advances our state of the city commitment
09:33to address mental health concerns across all five boroughs
09:36and make New York City the best place
09:38to raise children and families.
09:40So these clinics opened up a clear road ahead
09:43for our teens, for New York City,
09:45giving them a place to learn coping skills
09:49and resilience without financial burden.
09:54A place to share their problems and concerns
09:56and people to share them with.
09:58Because we know our young people cannot suffer in silence.
10:03We're not going to allow that to happen
10:05in this administration.
10:06And we're going to meet the challenges
10:09that these young people are facing in the 21st century
10:11and give them the tools and skill that they need.
10:14They need to be more than academically smart.
10:16They must be emotionally intelligent
10:19to be ready for the challenges that they are facing.
10:22And to the parents out there,
10:23it is so challenging raising a young person today.
10:27We want to be your partner.
10:28And this is one of the mechanisms we're doing
10:31to make sure that partnership is longstanding
10:33and impactful.
10:35Thank you, our team, for doing this.
10:37Thank you, Mayor Adams.
10:40Very powerful.
10:41And now I'd like to invite our first deputy chancellor,
10:44Dan Weisberg, up to give some remarks.
10:50Good morning.
10:52Thank you, Deputy Mayor.
10:54And congratulations.
10:55I understand this is day two.
10:56And she reminded me we were colleagues once upon a time,
10:59where she was, indeed,
11:00back at the Department of Education,
11:02where she was, indeed, a superstar.
11:04I can tell you, Mayor.
11:05I do recall that.
11:07And I want to thank Principal Navarro.
11:09Thank you so much for hosting us
11:11and for all the great work that you do.
11:13And Dr. Katz, where is Dr. Katz?
11:15This side.
11:16Our great partner to my left.
11:19And Superintendent Sherman, as well.
11:22Thank you so much for being here.
11:23And I just want to echo a couple of things
11:25that the mayor said.
11:27And first, thank him for his strong leadership.
11:30I can tell you that from day one,
11:32this is a mayor who has prioritized
11:34the mental health of our students,
11:36not just at press conferences like this,
11:39but behind the scenes when he is talking
11:41to the chancellor and I about priorities
11:44and yet takes resources to open clinics like this.
11:48And I'm gonna talk about the expansion
11:50of our school-based mental health clinics in a minute.
11:53That takes resources.
11:54That takes the mayor prioritizing those resources
11:56for something that is really, really important.
12:00But also, as he said, he's also making sure
12:03that the food we serve in our schools
12:05and we take great pride in is as healthy as possible
12:08because that actually supports mental health,
12:11that our students understand breathing exercises and yoga,
12:14which will help them to regulate.
12:16We all actually need that.
12:18We're all under stress.
12:19So I really appreciate, Mayor, all you do
12:21to keep our students and their mental health front of mind
12:26all the time.
12:27It makes a huge difference.
12:29The other thing I want to echo is
12:32as Chancellor Aviles-Ramos and I go to schools,
12:35which we have the great pleasure to do all the time,
12:38we always talk to students.
12:39Sometimes it's just passing in a hallway,
12:41sometimes at their desk,
12:42sometimes it's a formal meeting with student government.
12:45We always ask, what can we do better?
12:48What can the school system do better?
12:50And one of the issues that comes up over and over
12:52and over again, as the Mayor says, is mental health.
12:55And often it's in the form of not,
12:58sometimes it's, I need that help.
13:00Most of the time it is, I have a friend,
13:03I have a classmate, I have a family member
13:07who is struggling with mental health, we need more help.
13:10So that is why I'm so excited about this announcement
13:13and the fact that this school and their wonderful principal
13:16and parent coordinator are bringing these services
13:18to the students here.
13:19But this is part of a continuum of resources
13:23that we are prioritizing.
13:25So we have partnered with a New York City Department
13:29of Health and Mental Hygiene
13:31to oversee 215 school-based mental health clinics.
13:35They serve nearly 170,000 students across the city.
13:39And as the Mayor said, concentrated in those schools
13:43where we have higher suspensions,
13:45higher interventions necessary.
13:48The number of school-based mental health clinics
13:52on this administration has increased by over 40%.
13:55And again, that's because the Mayor and his team
13:58have prioritized these resources.
14:01But it isn't just the specific mental health clinics,
14:03it's about the entire network of care
14:05that we're able to provide to our students.
14:07So over 145,000 of our students
14:10have access to mental health services
14:12through school-based primary care clinics.
14:15We also have great partnerships with our CBOs,
14:18with our community-based organizations.
14:20So we have about 130 of those partnerships
14:23that reach more than 317,000 students.
14:27But I wanna mention another piece of the puzzle
14:30that's so important, and that's our school counselors,
14:33our social workers, our psychologists,
14:36our parent coordinators, it's the people.
14:39And we have increased the number
14:41of social workers, psychologists,
14:42and guidance counselors in our schools by over 1,000
14:45just in the last five years.
14:48The number of social workers alone
14:50has increased by over 25% in the last five years.
14:56That's in direct response to what we are hearing
14:58from our families and from our students.
15:00We need more help.
15:02And so I wanna close talking about that human element
15:06because I threw a bunch of numbers at you,
15:08but of course, it's not the numbers,
15:10it's the relationships in our schools
15:12between adults and students.
15:15And so it's that school aide who notices
15:17that a child is crying in a corner during lunch
15:20and make sure that child talks to the child,
15:22make sure that child gets help.
15:24It is the high school teacher who's given up her lunch
15:28to sit down with a child who's going through
15:30a tough breakup and is feeling depressed.
15:32That's happening thousands and thousands of time every day.
15:36What we wanna make sure we do as part of this administration
15:39is give them all the help that they need
15:41in the form of clinics like this.
15:43So I couldn't be more excited.
15:45Thank you everybody for being here today.
15:53Thank you, First Deputy Chancellor Dan Weisberg.
15:55And now let me bring up Dr. Mitch Katz,
15:57our present CEO of Health and Hospital Corporation.
16:00Say a few words.
16:01Thank you so much.
16:03Good morning, everybody.
16:05And I wanna thank you, Mr. Mayor.
16:07First, two things, great choice on the new deputy mayor,
16:12but also for funding this program for us.
16:17I wish everybody in the audience could watch the mayor
16:21when he's interacting with a young person
16:23because he is the most natural mentor.
16:26It's a totally empowering,
16:29it's not a sort of paternalistic relationship
16:32when he talks to a young person.
16:34He has that sense of,
16:37how do I help you to be the best you can be?
16:41I've watched him offer jobs and internships
16:44and opportunities,
16:45and I think this is just an extension
16:47of how he feels about it.
16:50In my couple of moments,
16:51I wanna talk a little bit about the brain chemistry of this
16:54since I'm the doctor on the panel.
16:56And just make sure everybody understands
16:59that mental illness is not a static thing.
17:03Our brains are wired to change.
17:07Our brains are wired to respond to positive interactions
17:12and to negative interactions.
17:14And that's why clinics like this are so important
17:17because if somebody is on a negative pathway of thoughts
17:22where they're having recurrent negative thoughts,
17:25they're reliving traumas that they've had,
17:28what's going to happen is that those thoughts
17:30are going to continue on negatively
17:33and they're going to shape the brain negatively.
17:36It's gonna color their daily interactions
17:39whereby interactions that might have been neutral
17:42are going to seem negative.
17:44And you're just going to build those brain circuits.
17:48I mean, this is true of all of us,
17:50but it's especially true of young people
17:52because their brains are developing more rapidly.
17:55When you interrupt those negative circuits
17:58and you instead replace them with positive circuits,
18:01with positive thoughts, positive relationships,
18:04and occasionally medications if necessary,
18:07what you do is you change the brain chemistry
18:10in a positive way so then experiences
18:13that might otherwise have seemed neutral
18:15might now seem positive.
18:17And so there's a tremendous opportunity
18:20through clinics like this.
18:21This is our 16th one.
18:23This one is closely aligned with Lincoln Hospital.
18:26All of the information is protected under HIPAA.
18:31And in fact, mental health, substance abuse,
18:33and sexual health records all have an additional protection.
18:38As users of healthcare, if any of you had signed
18:42a consent for your medical records to be released,
18:45we still could not release your mental health records.
18:48Mental health records require an additional
18:51and specific consent.
18:52You have to say, I want you to release
18:55my mental health records.
18:56And that's because, as the mayor spoke,
18:59there is a stigma, there's a lot of misunderstanding.
19:02We should feel that young people who come forward
19:07and say, I'm feeling sad, I've had bad experiences,
19:10they are the healthiest of the young people.
19:13They are the most well-adapted young people.
19:17What we want to be is a place where people
19:19feel comfortable coming forward.
19:22And this clinic will be very much that.
19:24And we're so happy to be in partnership
19:27with the school district and this particular school
19:29to have it.
19:30Thank you so much.
19:33Thank you so much, Dr. Katz.
19:38So today's announcement really shows the strength
19:42in supporting New Yorkers through our partnerships.
19:45So we can meet young people where they are
19:47and to offer support at a time and a space
19:50that's accessible for them.
19:52But to put a finer point on the individual interactions
19:55that will occur here, I want to have Councilor Scheel
19:57come up and share their experiences
19:59as a councilor in these programs.
20:07Good morning, everyone.
20:08My name's Natalie Scheel.
20:10My pronouns are she, they, and I work for
20:12NYC Health and Hospitals Woodhall as a social worker.
20:16So I had the privilege of opening
20:18one of our first school-based mental health clinics
20:20in Brooklyn.
20:21So I work with children from kindergarten to eighth grade
20:25at PSIS 384 Francis C. Carter.
20:28Prior to the launch of the program,
20:30I actually had the opportunity to really prioritize
20:34building trust with the school community
20:35and getting to learn their culture.
20:37So with that, I conducted a professional development
20:41for teachers.
20:42I liaised with the staff and the administration
20:45to identify the specific needs of the school
20:47because every school's different.
20:48And I also hosted parent workshops
20:51where I talked about the program
20:52and how we could best serve the children there.
20:54I think as Dr. Katz mentioned,
20:57I've also provided a lot of reassurance to families
21:00and parents and caregivers that all of the services
21:03are confidential and covered under HIPAA.
21:05And also that NYC Health and Hospitals
21:08will treat everyone regardless of identity,
21:12immigration status, or ability to pay.
21:15When a child first comes to therapy,
21:18they are not cognitive beings.
21:20They're feelers and their natural language is play.
21:23They can't talk about their feelings like you or I could
21:26in a one-on-one therapy session.
21:28So we have to meet them where they're at.
21:30So I use a lot of elements of play therapy
21:32in the work that I do,
21:34which actually allows the child to take the lead
21:37in a safe space where I provide encouragement
21:40and validation and really provide them the support
21:45that they need in order to play through their feelings.
21:48Eventually, there are themes that emerge within that space.
21:51And then I can identify those feelings with the child
21:54and we can process it together.
21:56And sessions, I also help children develop emotional
21:59and behavioral regulation skills.
22:02They're very catered to each child.
22:05What one child needs, maybe the other doesn't.
22:07So that could look very different depending on the child.
22:10Maybe it's getting out all of our energy
22:13with a physical activity.
22:15Maybe it's more sensory deprivation
22:17where we sit with the lights down low in the tent
22:19and we do deep breathing together.
22:22By actually meeting the children where they're at,
22:24we can develop a space for them to feel safe
22:27and work to continue to grow and thrive.
22:29I also provide crisis interventions for the schools.
22:32So that can look like a child who is in distress
22:35in the classroom and maybe doesn't have
22:37their learning brain on and needs additional help.
22:40I can pull them aside,
22:41give them that one-on-one individualized attention,
22:44help them regulate their emotions,
22:45and then return to class.
22:47This actually ensures that there's a more stable
22:51learning environment for all students and teachers alike
22:53because the student is getting their individualized support
22:56and teachers can focus on teaching.
22:58The response from parents, the school community,
23:01is it's been overwhelmingly positive.
23:04A school psychologist recently told me
23:06that I was like a superhero.
23:08So I'm living out one of my childhood dreams too.
23:11There are teachers that have asked
23:14if I could stay in the classroom permanently.
23:16And I think every single one of my first graders
23:19has asked, when are you gonna pick me up?
23:21And I don't have the heart to tell them
23:23that some of them don't require this level of service.
23:27But all that to say, I really do feel like
23:29it speaks to the impact of this work
23:31and the need for mental health clinics in schools.
23:34I also support teachers by providing essential skills
23:38like trauma-informed care and de-escalation strategies.
23:41They really create a more resilient
23:43and supportive classroom environment for everybody involved.
23:48Our school-based mental health clinics
23:50also support families by eliminating access barriers
23:53to care.
23:54Families, caregivers, parents all work so hard already.
23:58It's another thing to then have to add
24:01attending appointments and arranging transportation
24:04and paying for transportation to get there.
24:06Having a school-based mental health clinic right there
24:09eliminates that barrier too.
24:10They can receive services onsite
24:12and parents don't have to take time
24:13out of their already busy day
24:15to ensure a child is making their appointments.
24:18So many children can benefit from one-on-one therapy,
24:21I think adults as well.
24:24But it's been incredibly rewarding
24:26working with schools and children
24:28to uplift their confidence and give them the tools
24:30they need to grow and thrive.
24:33Children, they're our future.
24:35We can't make the world a better place
24:36unless we invest in them.
24:42Thank you, Councilor Scheel.
24:44So again, we're just excited to add even more capacity
24:47to reach even more young people
24:49with today's announcement and mark Mental Health Week.
24:52So with that, I'll turn things back over to the mayor
24:55to take on-topic questions.
24:56Thank you, thank you so much.
25:02Yes.
25:02Okay.
25:03I wanted to actually ask Councilor Scheel.
25:07Yes, yes.
25:08What do you find are the most common concerns
25:11for the children?
25:12Is it social media?
25:14Is it issues at home?
25:15What is the common thread?
25:17I think the most common presenting symptoms
25:19that I personally have dealt with
25:22are symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma,
25:26ACEs, adverse childhood experiences.
25:29And I do find an increase in eating disorders as well.
25:34And so we are seeing a bit of that PTSD
25:36and just adjustment disorders.
25:38Being a child is hard.
25:43Mayor, I was just wondering if you could provide an update
25:46on two related mental health initiatives.
25:48If you had any more information about where the lawsuit
25:51against social media companies is out.
25:53It was announced more than a year ago.
25:54I was wondering if anything substantial has come about that.
25:56And then where are you at in your deliberation
25:59around cell phones in schools,
26:01which of course has a mental health impact?
26:03Yeah, no, so true.
26:04Both of them are great questions.
26:06The wheels of justice grind slow, but exceedingly fine.
26:10And right now the corporate council
26:12is still pursuing this lawsuit.
26:15And we're seeing that other municipalities
26:17are interested in this because we have to really deal
26:21with the role of social media.
26:23I think that all of us, when we were children,
26:27we had the common problems that come with childhood.
26:29But social media has used algorithms
26:34and methods to draw our children into dark places.
26:36And we have to really address that.
26:38And there needs to be some responsibility
26:40that's attached to their behavior.
26:42And so the lawsuit is still moving forward.
26:45Corporate council is still engaged.
26:47We strongly believe cell phones should be banned in school.
26:51The science is clear that cell phones
26:55are really distracting our students.
26:58Our teachers is adding to bullying.
27:00It creates an unhealthy environment.
27:03We gotta get it right.
27:04Other administrations attempted to do it
27:07just to have to withdraw and pull back.
27:10And so now I'm happy to see the governor
27:12is very much engaged because in our conversations,
27:17we communicated with the UFT, with other teachers.
27:22There's a cost attached to it.
27:24Many of these phones, I learned the other day
27:26when I bought one, they could be $1,000.
27:29And so when we start collecting those phones,
27:31we have a real responsibility to make sure
27:35that we can safeguard them properly.
27:37What are some of the ways that other municipalities
27:39are doing by using the pouches
27:43to allow the students to keep them.
27:45And I don't know if many of you realize,
27:47students are amazingly smart.
27:51From using watches to other devices,
27:56cutting the pouch open and restitching it up.
27:59I mean, the methods that they would think of.
28:02So we want to get it right.
28:04And as I hope to do it, but we have to get it right
28:06so we don't have to be very soon.
28:08Is your goal to have a policy by next school year,
28:11six months or so from now?
28:12That is the goal.
28:14And the help from the state will help a lot.
28:18The dollar amount that the governor put in
28:20to accomplish this is not gonna meet
28:22the real financial challenge.
28:25But that is our goal.
28:27We would like to go into the next school year
28:29with a real plan.
28:30Now, and Dan could help me here,
28:33but we already have schools who have no cell phone policies.
28:39It's always great when it comes
28:41from a natural environment.
28:45If we could have parents, student bodies all come together
28:50to come up with a plan that's in place to do it,
28:54it's always easier.
28:56Because of, I don't know if you know New Yorkers like I do,
29:00when you try to force New Yorkers to do something,
29:02it's a whole different mindset.
29:04And so if we can get everyone engaged,
29:06I think if we educate parents, educate students,
29:10educate the teaching population who are already there,
29:13I think we have a more natural, organic way to say
29:17there's no places for phones in our schools.
29:20And then we gotta lead by example.
29:21Because we can't tell little Johnny,
29:24don't use your phone,
29:25and then the teacher is texting away on their phone.
29:29You know, we gotta lead by example.
29:31If it's a zero phone policy,
29:32then everyone must get the phone out of the school.
29:36Is there any incentive policy that you would build into that?
29:40You know, if kids don't use their phones for the day,
29:42there's sort of some reward or something.
29:46You know, one child asked me that,
29:47and he says, you know, if I don't use my phone for a day,
29:49would you give me an upgraded iPhone?
29:51You know?
29:52You know, so we're looking at any and everything.
29:56We know we have to do this for the health of our children
30:00and for the educational reasons.
30:04Okay, they come for asking other questions.
30:07You know?
30:08All right, thank you, thank you.