Dayton Public Schools was one of the first in the nation to ban student cell phone use during the school day. I played an integral role in pitching this story, which ultimately led to NBC flying out to Dayton to spend a day at one of our high schools.
I coordinated with the principal to select key players to interview, prepped them for what to expect, and helped ensure the building was orderly and a good representation of our district on national TV.
While even the best PR person can’t control everything (students REALLY tried to sneak in phones in takeout containers!), I was on hand all day to ensure we stayed on time and on task.
The end result was a prominent feature on the Today Show and positive commentary from the hosts. The Today Show is one of the nation’s top-rated morning shows and has 2.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research in 2024.
Following this story, school and government leaders from throughout the country reached out to ask questions and gain further insight in order to implement their own cell phone collection system.
Alexandra Kincaid 