From vaping, the cost of school supplies to cellphone policies, the WTOP team is studying up on hot-button topics in education across the D.C. region. Follow on air and online in our series “WTOP Goes Back to School” this August and September.
High school students in Arlington, Virginia, would only be allowed to use their cellphones between classes and during lunch under a proposed policy that could go into effect this fall.
The proposal would prohibit elementary and middle school students from using their cellphones throughout the day. For elementary school students, devices would need to silenced and in backpacks or somewhere else in the classroom. For middle schoolers, phones would need to be silenced and in backpacks or lockers for the school day.
High school students, though, would only need to put their devices away during class time.
At all grade levels, students would not be allowed to use phones, tablets or other mobile devices in school bathrooms unless there’s an emergency or medical reason for doing so.
The proposal comes as school districts across Northern Virginia are launching new ways to crack down on when students use their cellphones. Nearby, Fairfax County Public Schools is launching pilot programs at some middle and high schools, and Loudoun and Prince William counties have updated their plans ahead of the new school year.
In Arlington, though, some parents are frustrated that the proposal doesn’t go far enough. The group Arlington Parents for Education (APE) has been advocating for an “away for the day” policy for all students.
“There’s a pretty unified voice that everyone is using because we recognize that simply telling kids to turn their devices off and put them away doesn’t work,” Sheila Kelly, a parent and APE member, said. “I think we all know as adults when we have access to our phones, being told that doesn’t always work.”
Under the policy, teachers would have the ability to let students use their cellphones or other devices for “curricular purposes.” They would also be allowed to use them in the “case of an emergency while on school property if they are stored in their backpack or designated space.”
Parents who need to speak to their children during the school day can call the school’s front office, according to the proposed policy.
As part of a section detailing consequences of violating school rules, the proposed policy states if a student isn’t following a teacher’s request to put a device away, “guardian contact and a referral to the appropriate administrator may be made. The device may be confiscated by an administrator who then requests that the parent/guardian come in to collect the device, necessitating a discussion.”
Kelly said some teachers have been advocating for the “away for the day” policy because without it, it “makes them the phone police.”
“We know we’re facing a crisis,” Kelly said.
“I think we need immediate action to address the mental health issues and the achievement gaps, and this is just — it’s an easy win for students. It’s an easy win for teachers, who we know are really struggling with this issue, and it’s a really cost-effective way to just to really begin to tackle critical challenges that we know are happening in our schools.”
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