cell phone ban – Tennessee Education Report

Cell phones will be banned in L.A. classrooms starting in January

Peter Greene wrote earlier this year about the challenge presented by cell phones in school.

When phones first became ubiquitous, schools tried to ban them during class time. Then sought to use them as a learning tool, but restrict their use otherwise. Then faced parent pressure to allow the use of phones so parents could always be in touch.

Now, we’re back at banning them during the school day.

At least, that’s what’s happening in Los Angeles starting in January.

Los Angeles Unified teachers, parents and students expressed support for the district’s upcoming cell phone ban — but with some concerns about the details.
The new policy, set to roll out in January, is being created in response to a school board resolution.
Studies show the unregulated use of phones on campus can harm students’ academic progress and cause harm to kids’ mental health.

As the article notes, there’s broad support for the plan – but the actual response to implementation is not yet clear.

How will parents – accustomed to getting real-time updates from their kids – respond to not having constant access to them?

In what ways will students attempt to skirt the policy?

What will enforcement look like? Will phones be confiscated for periods of time?

What is clear, though, is that cell phone use at school presents a range of challenges – from being a distraction to learning to being a source of anxiety for students.

It will be interesting to see how this policy plays out – and what other districts do in terms of cell phone policy in the near future.