Citing success at schools that already have strict cellphone policies, D.C. is banning cellphones for students in middle and high schools starting this fall.
The new policy, which is scheduled to go into effect Aug. 25, is a bell-to-bell ban. Secondary students won’t be able to use their devices in between classes or at lunch, instead putting them away at the start of the day and retrieving them at the end.
The announcement comes months after D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto introduced legislation aimed at cracking down on cellphone use across city schools.
School districts across Northern Virginia and Maryland have spent months grappling with how to create fewer distractions during academic class time. Many have approved new plans for phone use ahead of the fall.
“The most important reason is we’ve seen positive impact,” D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said, describing the results of a pilot program that banned cellphone use at middle schools.
During a focus group with middle schoolers, “they did mention that while it was a challenge at first, they do feel better connected to their peers, less distracted during the school day and have been able to form positive relationships.”
Some DCPS high schools have similarly taken the step to implement a ban with promising results, Ferebee said.
WTOP has contacted the Washington Teachers’ Union for comment on the new rules.
The ban will look different across school campuses. Some high schools have used storage lockers while others have used pencil pouches as a way to store devices during the day.
The policy, according to Deputy Chief of Schools Jennifer Rosenbaum, specifies that phones can’t be in a student’s pocket, but could be in a backpack or locker.
Ferebee said he isn’t expecting the new policy to create “additional hefty expenses for the schools.”
The rules outline exceptions for extenuating circumstances, such as for students who are parents of younger children, and for kids who have individualized education programs or may need a phone for a medical reason.
Students will still be allowed to use school-issued devices during the school day, the policy said.
As for concerns that parents won’t be able to reach their kids in the event of an emergency at a school, Ferebee said the city has policies and procedures in place for those circumstances.
“In emergency situations, we actually need them to comply with the directives from the adults, the staff, the school,” Ferebee said. “In many cases, it is not the time to try to communicate with others via your cellphone, but we do have policies and procedures in place where school leaders will communicate with families and parents about any incidents that occur in schools, and ensure that they’re informed quickly of any critical incidents.”
Based on feedback from students, educators and survey results, Ferebee said stricter cellphone rules help students focus and can lead to fewer incidents of bullying.
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