This year, PHS has seen a rise in phone pouches — pockets 
where students are required to put their phones in before and 
throughout classes. The implementation of phone pockets 
has risen along with growing concerns about phone usage 
from the community; pushed by community feedback and 
research, discussions in the district for a concrete phone 
ban or restriction policy are underway. 


“We're hoping to work collaboratively to come up with 
a policy that students understand and can get behind. The 
research [shows that] getting off ... your phone and really 
focusing with your teachers ... is what is important,” said 
Susan Kanter, a Board of Education member on the policy 
committee. “There’s a collaborative project that we hope will 
happen in the next few months with the administration.”


The potential phone ban, according to Dr. Michael 
LaSusa, Superintendent of Princeton Public Schools, 
could take one of two forms. In a bell-to-bell ban, all high 
school students would be required to store their phones in 
a compartment when entering the building and pick them 
up at the end of the day. The more lenient option would be 
a consistent ban on phone use during instructional time 
in all classes, permitting students to access their phones 
during lunch or study hall. The district purchased the phone 
pouches that now hang on the walls of all classrooms last 
year, though it is currently up to teachers to decide how 
strictly to enforce the policy. 


“I feel that it's better for more students to not have 
access at all to their phones any minute of the school day,” 
said LaSusa. “But I also think that in terms of logistics, 
management, and resources, it's much easier and more 
pragmatic in certain ways to have a [phone] restriction 
only on classroom instructional time.”


In addressing concerns that a phone ban could endanger 
students if they need to contact someone, such as their 
parents, during an emergency, LaSusa cited Jonathan Haidt’s 
book “The Anxious Generation,” which argues that phones 
have fundamentally harmed the mental health of teenagers.


“Jonathan Haidt makes the case that students are safer 
in an emergency without access to their phone because 
they should be listening to the teachers and following 
instructions,” said LaSusa. “In my last district, we did the 
type of restriction where students still could access their 
phone in an emergency from [phone] pockets.”


LaSusa also cited the New Jersey Department of 
Education's (NJDOE) policy guidance regarding phone 
bans. On October 1, 2025 the NJDOE launched the state’s 
first phone ban grant, which provides extra funding to 
schools if they enact a bell-to-bell phone ban.


“[NJDOE] recommends, essentially a bell-to-bell ban 
completely, and then, short of that, some type of restriction 
on cell phones; so with the state guidance and with all 
that we know now about cell phones and how distracting 
they can be, I think it's likely that the [Princeton Board of 
Education] will adopt some type of district level policy,” 
said LaSusa.


Principal Cecilia Birge has said that she’s received positive 
feedback from teachers regarding the phone pouches, but 
also said that she would support a phone ban if approved 
by the district.


“If there are significant offenses, and then that causes 
disciplinary action, then that gives building administration 
more authority to act upon it. For that reason, I support 
it,” said Birge.


Daniel Spitkosky ’27 is skeptical that a bell-to-bell phone 
ban would significantly improve academic performance. 


“If I had no phone, just my computer to work on an 
assignment, and I really was not interested in working on the 
assignment, I think I would find methods to procrastinate 
on the computer despite not having my phone. I think that 
not having it would potentially increase my productivity, 
but not to an enormous extent,” said Spitkovsky.


Though a final decision is likely still several months away, 
LaSusa remains confident in the success of any potential 
phone ban.


“I think that if there were to be a bell-to-bell [ban] ... 
instituted [at PHS], there'd be more social interaction 
among students, and students would come to appreciate 
that type of policy,” said LaSusa. “If the policy was more 
lenient and it was just a restriction during classroom time, 
I think most students would really have almost no problem 
with that at all, and I don't think that it would materially 
affect the culture of the building. I think either type of 
policy will actually only probably enhance the culture in 
the building.

Paula Kutin ’27 puts her phone in a phone pouch during Joyce Jones’s period 5 health class.


PPS administration considers phone restrictions or ban for 2026-2027 school year

### Lima, Peru

On Friday, October 10, 14 exchange students from a district just outside Lima, Peru 
arrived at PHS, beginning their nearly two-week long visit to Princeton designed to help 
them explore American culture and develop bilingualism. The Peruvians had a packed 
schedule of activities: including trips to destinations within Princeton and to multiple 
attractions within New York City, and the Robbinsville BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham 
Hindu Temple.


“I think our host [did] things to [help us] have the feeling of home ... I went to Philadelphia 
last Sunday…and I had a lot of fun there ... I [also] spent time with the family ... playing 
some basketball... and some Monopoly,” said Nicholas Bautista, one of the exchange students.


The exchange students, all currently freshmen, call the Surco district of Lima home, an 
urban district with a population of nearly 400,000. The students attend San José Monterrico, 
a small private bilingual school with about 900 students across grades K-12. They are the 
first batch of students at their school to be part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) 
program, a two-year educational program analogous to AP curriculums.


“I’m very excited, but a little bit scared because … our teacher said that it’s very hard to 
do,” said Renzo Ghersi, one of the students from Peru. “I think, personally, I will handle 
that, but I’m kind of scared about the exam because although we do it in two years from 
now...it’s really difficult and not all people get their diplomas."


Luciana Bedregal, Mateo Esterripa, along with Ghersi and Bautista, all showed a 
particular leaning towards STEM fields — noting that physics, math, and chemistry were 
their favorite subjects in school. However, they also pointed out their school offers a wide 
variety of required social science classes which differ from offerings at PHS. Most of the 
classes at their school are taught in Spanish, with the exception of world history, which is 
taught in English.
The exchange trips PHS hosts, in the eyes of PHS Spanish teacher Idania Rodriguez-Mejia, 


are critical to advancing cultural knowledge of the language.
“[There’s] nothing better than learning about other people’s beliefs firsthand. They’re 
coming from Peru and they are bringing with them who they are and their own unique 
identity.” said Rodriguez. “When students go to Peru, they do the same…that alone creates 
community, open-mindedness and learning.”


### Colmar, France


Celeste Lengrand was one of 44 students from Colmar, France who visited Princeton 
this October while staying with a family of a French-learning PHS student. 


“It’s like an American series with the yellow buses ... [and] the lockers,” said Lengrand.


Colmar’s relationship with Princeton as a “sister-city” dates far beyond this exchange 
trip. The connection was initiated in 1986 by late Princeton Mayor Barbara B. Sigmund 
during the celebration of the Statue of Liberty’s 100th anniversary. Since then, the trip 
has been a lasting connection between the two cities.


“The fact that they can develop a rapport, a relationship, a friendship is the most 
valuable thing,” said Malachi Wood, the French teacher responsible for coordinating 
the exchange. “At the very end of the exchange when we’re leaving, it’s nice to see all 
the kids crying and sad because they made a solid connection.”


During their 11-day trip to Princeton, students from Lycée Bartholdi had the chance 
to immerse themselves in the history of Princeton, the United States, and France.


“When they come here, we focus on American history. We’re doing a little presentation 
about Lafayette [and] we’re going to see the local, historical sites in town … we always 
try to hit Morven, Drumthwacket, Updike Farmhouse. And when we go to France, we 
focus on the War of 1870, World War I, World War II, and the aftermath,” said Wood.


Though America and France have long been close political and economic allies, 
Lengrand observed the value of direct interaction between French and American students. 


“I think it’s important to see we are not alone in the world and see different points of 
view, for example [with] politics, because in France, we have a view of politics [of] the 
America, and [we can] see the view[s] of people [who] live in America,” said Lengrand.


PHS students take reciprocal trips to Colmar at the end of October, where they can 
immerse themselves in French culture and schooling. Elif Cam ’26, one of the PHS 
host students, explained how having the chance to attend the trip while learning about 
various aspects of French culture creates a lived experience unparalleled in the classroom. 


“I think it’s such a crucial part of the language learning experience that is just so 
different from everything else you do in class,” said Cam. “You study French culture. 
You study [how] [their] way of life is different…but it’s not the same thing as actually 
interacting with people who are from the culture.”

Photo: Katherine Chen


Peruvian exchange students Brianna Quevedo, Antonella Cayo, and Andrea Rucoba Pedreschi perform traditional Peruvian dance.

PHS French and Spanish students welcome exchange students from France and Peru

On August 21, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Kimberely 
Tew released the results of PHS’s New 
Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment 
(NJGPA), which revealed disparities in 
pass rates between Asian, White, Black 
and Hispanic students. The NJGPA is a 
graduation requirement administered 
annually to 11th graders, though alternatives 
exist if a student does not pass the test. 


Though PHS has been known for its 
testing disparities since at least 2005, when it 
was the subject of a New York Times article 
titled “The Achievement Gap in Elite High 
Schools,” district officials, teachers, and 
students say they aren’t giving up.


This summer, the Princeton Board 
of Education approved a five-member 
Affirmative Action team tasked with 
updating the Comprehensive Equity Plan, 
a two-part document mandated by the state 
law that outlines the district’s plan to combat 
inequalities within the education system, 
including achievement gaps. 


“The work never ends; we have to explore 
and dive into data all the time. The data 
should help us make decisions about 
[whether] there are more programming 
or services that we can provide, and ... 
when we provide it. I think one of the 
foundational pieces of all of this work is 
building relationships with our students 
and with our families. [And] the more we 
know about our students, the more we can 
... excite them in their learning,” said Angela 
Siso Stentz, Assistant Superintendent for 
Human Resources and a member of the 
district’s Affirmative Action team.


The 2025 NJGPA data showed that 74 
percent of Black students and 50 percent 
of Hispanic students at PHS met the 
graduation requirements — compared 
to Asian, White, and students of other 
ethnicities having a 92 percent pass rate 
or higher. The report did not detail the 
NJGPA scores by income level. However, 
one of the priorities for Dr. Andrea Dinan, 
the director of the IDEAS center, is for all 
students to be able to access free, highquality tutoring — a service that can be 
unaffordable for many families.


“We’re working with the Pace Center 
[for Civic Engagement] at Princeton 
University, and we’re going to have five to 
seven tutors from Princeton University on 
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,” said 
Dinan. “They’re going to provide SAT [and]
ACT help and AP prep, and we’re going to 
target lower-resourced families, but it will 
be open to everyone. I think that’s one of 
the ways that it really works well — if it’s 
open to everyone, but we make sure that ... 
lower income students ... know about the 
opportunities.”


In solving an issue as complex as the 
achievement gap, teachers are playing a 
role in changing the culture within the 
classroom. PHS Social Studies teacher 
Dr. Katie Dineen is an advocate for an 
educational philosophy known as the 
Universal Design for Learning (UDL). First 
designed in the 1990s based on research 
in neuroscience, UDL advocates for a 
curriculum in which students are provided 
with multiple ways to acquire information 
and multiple ways to demonstrate what they 
know. Dineen is also working to make her 
classroom more culturally inclusive.


“You know, regardless of where [students] 
come from, and especially with AP [World 
History] being such a transitory and 
international community, there’s so many 
opportunities for students to bring their 
own family’s artifacts into the classroom, or 
their family’s perspectives or speakers,” said 
Dineen. “I think I [have] created a place for 
each student to feel as though their story 
and their origin are important enough to 
be centered in that curriculum.”


Furthermore, many clubs at PHS are 
also working on fostering a supportive 
community among underprivileged 
students. This includes Generation 1, a club 
focused on helping students who would be 
the first generation within their family to 
pursue higher education.


“I know from my personal experience, 
my mom didn’t get to pursue a further 
education, [so] I struggled a lot trying to 
figure out resources for SATs or college 
[applications] or just finding things in 
general to help me throughout my school 
journey,” said Aimy Solares-Zacarias 
’26, who serves as the co-president of 
Generation 1. “Our main goal is to just 
help provide those resources for kids who 
are [first-generation students] on their 
pathway to [higher education].”


Solares-Zacarias recalls a period of 
academic isolation within her own journey 
where she was afraid to ask for help. Today, 
she encourages her fellow students to follow 
a path similar to her own by contacting 
Generation 1 to find a community of 
academic support. 
“If anyone is reading [this] and they’re a 
[first-generation] student, I want them to be 
able to reach out to us because I know it’s 
not embarrassing or a weakness to want to 
ask for help,” said Solares-Zacarias.

Graphic: Katherine Chen

NJGPA passing versus not passing rates for different races at PHS.

The achievement gap at PHS

## Alex Riera

Alex Riera ’25 enrolled in Mercer County
Technical School’s (MCTS) horticulture
and turf care management program at the
suggestion of her mother, who thought that it
aligned well with her interests in nature and
the outdoors. Riera, who will be graduating
from the 2-year program in June, is now
glad she enrolled.


“Taking care of plants or growing them…
[it] does help you mentally. I’ve had an
experience when we were planting tomato
seeds, and we had these containers filling
in the soil. I just remember it felt really
satisfying,” said Riera.


The program prepares around
20 students annually for careers
in landscape and agriculture industries — helping with everything
from securing horticulture
internships to technical skills.


“[We use] equipment like mowers,
turf riders, string trimmers, weed
whackers…we [also] identify plants
and weeds…and how to get rid of them. And
we’re introduced to different ways to get rid
of them, like pesticides or using bugs, for
example, [which] benefits the plants and is a
better way of getting rid of them,” said Riera.


Riera’s favorite part, however, has been
entering horticulture competitions and
conventions around the state with a team
of two other students from MCTS.


“[For] the Monmouth State convention,
we had to do a [presentation] on soil pH, soil
levels, and the importance of NPK (nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium). The first time
I was introduced to it, I [thought] I would
never [be able to] do it and I wouldn’t be able
to memorize these scripts…[my instructor]
was willing to help me through that and gave
me a lot of time to practice. It’s something
I never imagined I could do,” said Riera.


Riera only attends MCTS on Friday
afternoons this year. In the morning Riera
has classes at PHS, and in the afternoons
(with the expectation of Friday) Riera is
employed as a florist at McCaffrey’s as a part
of MCTS’s internship program.


“It was a long process, but I got [the
internship]. They make sure that the
coordinator comes to check on me if
everything’s okay [or] if I have any concerns.
And I’m like, ‘No, I’m doing well. This is a
great experience, and I’m very grateful to be
in it,’” said Riera.


Riera is also involved in Future Farmers
of America, an organization that supports
education in agriculture. Riera developed
the agenda for the organization’s 2024-25
programs and sold over 100 holiday wreaths
with the organization.


This fall, Riera will enroll in
Rutgers’ horticulture program,
a dream that she says was made
possible with the support of MCTS.
In particular, she plans to explore
her passion for horticulture therapy.


 “I’ve had so many great experiences
[at MCTS], and I’ve learned so much
about horticulture,” said Riera. “In
my [college] essay, I wrote about my
experience at [MCTS]. It really made a huge
impact on me.”

## David Lux-Betata

David Lux Beteta ’26 is enrolled in three
automotive programs at MCTS: Diesel
Technology, Automotive Technology,
and Auto Collision Technology. Through
MCTS, he’s learned how to assess damage,
repair vehicles, secure internships, and use
tools and equipment found in real-world
auto shops.


Beteta has been fascinated
with cars since his childhood,
and recalls deciding to go into
the automotive industry after
watching the Fast and Furious
films as a child.


“You would think it gets
frustrating… but it’s something that I’ve
always wanted to do, and I enjoy it. The rush
of ideas in your head… just disappears, and
you just kind of lock into the project that
you’re doing — that’s what I found myself
getting into,” said Beteta.


Beteta, like many oteer MCTS students,
juggles both in-class instruction and a paid
internship at a local auto shop, which he
also receives school credit for.


“There’s a range from staying in the
classroom — doing paperwork, [filling]
orders — to in the shop, [where] we do
things like den repairs, spraying primers
using the paint booth, [and] sanding using
pneumatic technology, which is air-driven
technology,” said Beteta.


For the past few months, Beteta has been
working on his project for the SkillsUSA
championship, the final-stage of a year-long
competition designed to showcase talented
students from technical schools across the
country. The competition requires students
to design a project and complete various
technical skills in front of a panel of judges.


“I made a custom snap-on toolbox. [I]
did all these different custom designs,
custom paint — everything,” said Beteta,
“I worked from A to Z on the entire thing.
The only thing that [my instructor] helped
me on was the initial design, but the rest of
it was completely my work that took about
a month in total.”


Beteta credits MCTS for having both
experienced, thoughtful instructors and
an excellent environment. His program
has around 20 people, which contributes
to a tight-knit community.


“The people… have a lot of character
[and] a lot of morals. On the first day, there
was no awkwardness. It was like
we already knew each other. We
just went into it, started doing
stuff. There was that excitement
in the air,” said Beteta.


Beteta hopes that the
instruction, internships, and
hands-on learning from MCTS
will prepare him for a career in automotive
technology.


“I plan on going into the army, an then
I’ll go into post secondary schooling...
for technology, where I can learn both
the business aspect of it and [bring] the
automotive [knowledge],” said Beteta.
“Hopefully, I can take a shot later on in
life, have enough money, and completely
fulfill my dream.”

Mercer County Technical School Student Profiles

On January 8, the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education (BOE) appointed Dr. Michael LaSusa as the district’s new superintendent. LaSusa will undergo a six-month transition process before officially replacing current interim superintendent Dr. Kathleen Foster on July 1.

LaSusa is currently superintendent of the Chatham school district, and before that began his career as a history and Spanish teacher at Chatham High School. PHS Principal Cecilia Birge believes that his tenure demonstrates a strong commitment to education.

“When someone stays in the district for that long, especially coming from the teachers ranking, [they] know what our students and teachers feel,” said Birge. “His district respects him and has enjoyed the long tenureship that he has given to Chatham.”

LaSusa’s appointment comes after years of turmoil in the PPS district, with the district going through two superintendents and six PHS principals in the past five years. In making the decision, the Board of Education hired the consulting firm School Leadership LLC and held a series of student and parent forums. In addition, the PPS adinistration distributed a survey designed to provide a platform for the community to request characteristics and prerequisites that they want to be considered for the superintendent.

“The process started with a pretty wide-cast net. The consultants [and the] search firm, hired by the board, opened it up to the several unions in the district,” said Birge. “Each group had a chance to meet with the consultant.”

Throughout the interview process, LaSusa emphasized the importance of providing equal educational opportunities to all, according to Kathleen Foster, the interim superintendent.

“[LaSusa] really talked about the importance of making sure that every student is known and valued,” said Foster. “[He] encouraged [students] to flourish in the way that they choose. Not everyone has to go in the same path. There are lots of [different] paths after graduation.”

LaSusa has received considerable recognition for his work in improving the learning experience for students. In 2019, the New Jersey Association of School Administrators awarded LaSusa New Jersey Region 1 Superintendent of the Year.

“He is [a] very forward-thinking, compassionate leader, he is very student-centered, and actively makes decisions that will benefit the students’ experience,” said Mary Donohue, Chatham’s assistant superintendent. “He wants to create an environment, a learning space where [students] feel supported [and] to help them grow as people and as learners. In an interview with The Tower, LaSusa highlighted his student-centered vision for the district, committing to supporting all students regardless of their background.

“There are students who are underserved or don’t have the [same] resources of some of those higher performing students,” said LaSusa. “I want to do what I can to ensure that every single student, regardless of their background, what their first language might be, or any other challenges they might have, can all thrive and reach their full potential by the time they exit the [education] system.”

LaSusa is now preparing for his transition from the Chatham district to Princeton Public Schools. Over the next six months, he will work to familiarize himself with Princton’s background by meeting with school administrators, the Parent Teacher Organization, and staff members.

“I’m going to interact with as many people as I can,” said LaSusa. “I’ll be listening and absorbing for my first months in the district, and hopefully from there, relationships will form, and I’ll get to have a greater sense of Princeton as each month passes.”

Photo: Emily Kim

Michael LaSusa listens at his confirmation hearing with the PPS Board of Education.

Board of Education approves Michael LaSusa as superintendent 

Across PHS, the use of artificial
intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT
to assist students with school assignments
has become an increasing trend, raising
concerns about the future of academic
integrity at PHS.

While some argue these tools are simply
new forms of study aids, others are raising
concerns regarding AI being used as a
gateway to academic dishonesty. The rise
of AI has made cheating easier than ever
in a modernizing digital environment,
where a few keystrokes can generate
essays, solve math problems, and even
mimic human thought. At PHS, AI
chatbots have sparked concerns among
teachers, administrators, and student
leaders, who are actively collaborating
to discover new methods and policy
changes to uphold academic integrity in
an increasingly tech-savvy world.

“[AI is] a fast developing technology;
our policy, our adaptation to it, how we
manage our student expectations, [and]
how we teach in [the] AI era, needs to
continue to be evaluated and monitored
... perhaps regulated as well,” said PHS
Principal Cecilia Birge.

There is a significant concern that
violations of the AI policy may become
progressively challenging for teachers
to regulate as technology
continues to advance and
become more accessible.
The challenge lies more in
addressing how these tools
impact student engagement
and education rather
than simply identifying
AI-generated content. As a result,
many teachers have developed various
techniques to tackle this growing issue,
such as the usage of AI checker softwares
or monitoring the editing history to
prevent students from entirely relying on
AI to complete their assignments.

“We have students submit assignments
to Turnitin.com, but I also check,” said AP
Language and Composition and English II
teacher John Bathke. “[Students] give me
editing permission on Google Docs and a
lot of [assignments] are written in class.”

But teachers aren’t the only ones
concerned about AI — student leadership
representatives have also voiced their
worries about its misuse. In November,
Board of Education Student Liaisons
Nikolai Margulis ’25 and Maya Hagt
’25 addressed the Board of Education,
highlighting instances of students
violating the district’s AI policy. Since
then, the administration has been actively
discussing ways to strengthen policies,
ensuring that PHS not only keeps up
with rapidly evolving technology but
also upholds its commitment to fostering
safe and effective AI usage that enhances
individual learning.

 “We can’t completely keep kids from
cheating,” said Margulis. “Teachers can
make rules for cheating ... [but] it’s hard
to enforce those rules unless the student
body is committed to it and believes it
from an ideological standpoint. I think
that’s really important [to] ingrain it in
our school culture not to cheat.”

With AI usage often overlapping with
academic dishonesty, educators believe an
overreliance on AI tools can stifle critical
thinking and problem-solving skills, as
students may feel empowered to skip the
deeper analytical thinking in favor of the
quick, easily presented AI responses. This
not only impacts their ability to absorb
and apply knowledge but
also creates gaps in skills
that are crucial for success
in both future academic
and professional settings.

“Using [AI] to complete
entire assignments [will]
hurt you in the long
run. If I plagiarize all my stuff, then I’m
not actually doing the learning that is
required for me to actually [understand]
the information, which ultimately [will
hurt me] when I get to the real world and
[have] a job, since I haven’t learned that
skill,” said Bathke.

The environment students are in
is believed to also play a large role in
shaping how students use these tools.
If classrooms foster collaboration,
curiosity, and accountability, students
may feel more encouraged to engage
with the learning process authentically.
However, in more cutthroat, competitive
environments, students may see it
necessary to unethically use AI tools
as a means to gain an edge, prioritizing
outcome over learning.

“We live in a very competitive learning
environment, society as well. An
unhealthy part of our building culture
is this toxic competitiveness of grades.
So there’s that simple-minded focus on
grades that makes some of our students
make bad choices,” said Birge. “But when
your grades are not truly reflective of your
mastery, eventually it will catch up with
you. It happens all the time in life.”

However, many teachers do not view
the existence of AI tools as the issue, but
rather how they are used. When used
thoughtfully, AI has the potential to
support learning by offering explanations,
generating ideas, and providing assistance
that encourages deeper understanding.

“There [are] significant benefits that
AI brings, especially when it comes to
equity issues. If I speak English as a second
language learner, I can say something in
[English in] an okay manner, but if I ask
AI to help me with certain content and
language and grammar, that’s learning.
That’s a positive thing,” said Birge.

Many educators believe that the key
is balancing the positives and negatives
of AI,which involves teaching students
to use these tools responsibly, as an
additional source of learning rather than
a replacement for completing their own
work.

“AI is like a compass — it can point
you in the right direction, but [real
learning happens] when you put in the
work yourself and make the most of the
tools around you to learn,” said computer
science teacher Edward Yin. “AI can be
integrated into education when used
thoughtfully and responsibly ... but it’s
up to students to use it as a learning
tool, not for shortcuts. As [educators],
we must [create environments] where
students don’t feel like cheating, but
rather [learning]."

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