Maine is among the states implementing cellphone bans in schools as a major teachers union calls for more aggressive national action to make classrooms less reliant on screens.

In a speech Wednesday before the National Press Club, American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten laid out a 10-point plan calling for a redesign of schooling in which digital tools play a much smaller role than they do today.

The union’s plan calls for no screens for students in pre-K through second grade unless there is a compelling reason.

“Young people are resilient, but too often the kids are not all right," Weingarten said, "and a major reason is that they are drowning in tech.”

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The plan also calls for a new “gold standard” for safety and privacy in the use of artificial intelligence in schools. The Trump administration raised similar concerns this spring, with the surgeon general recommending bell-to-bell bans and increased education on digital literacy skills.

But Weingarten said efforts to dismantle the Department of Education and certain spending reductions make it hard to enact safeguards. She said she believes it is not only President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers undermining public schools by, in her words, “handing classrooms over to Big Tech firms and private operators through vouchers.” She also criticized Democrats for not speaking up enough.

“While Democrats are still among the strongest advocates of strengthening public education," Weingarten said, "too few Democratic leaders speak clearly about the fundamental importance of public education as a national priority.”

The AFT also is calling for an independent research consortium to study the effects of artificial intelligence, screens and technology on students. Weingarten said that research should not be paid for by the tech industry.

“I am not calling for an AI ban or a Chromebook bonfire,” she said. “What I’m calling for is getting the balance right to harness the benefits of technology while mitigating the harms. I’m wary of the dangers of AI, but it is here to stay.”

Weingarten said more federal and state funding is needed to help teachers strike that balance.

Maine will require districts to comply with its new state ban starting August 1.