California is getting on the no-phones-in-class bandwagon, reports AP. Gov. Gavin Newsom wants school districts to restrict students’ use of smartphones on campus. “Working together, educators, administrators, and parents can create an environment where students are fully engaged in their education, free from the distractions on the phones and pressures of social media," he wrote.
In an executive order last month, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin told the state education department to develop guidelines for a "phone-free" educational environment.
Indiana now requires school districts to adopt bans on wireless devices during class, reports the Washington Post. "Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis "signed the most restrictive school smartphone law in the country, banning class-time use and blocking social media access on campus internet."
South Carolina is considering smartphone restrictions, as are officials in Utah, Florida, Louisiana and elsewhere. Big urban districts, including New York City and Los Angeles, are planning to adopt no-phone policies.
Setting policy is easy, writes Linda Jacobson on The 74. Enforcement is hard. "Complete bans leave some parents nervous, but partial restrictions often put teachers in the uncomfortable position of policing the rules during valuable class time."
Schools that report the most success don't leave it to teachers to police students' phone use. Phones are secured during the school day, so there's no peeking during class and lunch time is spent talking to in-person friends, not staring at a screen.
It's not enough to ban phones in class, says Kim Whitman, a co-founder of the Phone-Free Schools Movement. “It still allows negative activities to happen between classes — cyberbullying, planning fights and others videoing them.”
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