When David Rounds鈥� school district in eastern New York decided to pass a policy to keep students鈥� cellphones in sealed pouches all day, he thought it was an overreach. After several months of observing the change in school culture, however, he changed his mind鈥攁nd now he supports guidance from the state government or national teachers鈥� union on restricting cellphone use during the day.
鈥淚 think if there鈥檚 a collective response to it, I do think it makes it easier on the individual school districts to enforce the policy,鈥� said Rounds, who teaches at Bethlehem High School in Delmar, N.Y. and is president of his local union. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e an outcast district, like we were this year, I think it opens you up to a little bit more criticism.鈥�
At least seven states have enacted legislation or adopted policies to restrict cellphone use in schools, and some large school districts, such as Los Angeles Unified, have moved in that direction. But many districts and schools are left to devise their own strategies for dealing with cellphones, with mixed uptake in classrooms. Teachers lack professional development to manage cellphones, and some seek more guidance from a higher level.
The restrictions come as a reversal to pre-COVID ambitions of incorporating cellphones into instruction, or letting students use them in downtime. But with concerns over rising mental health challenges linked to teenagers鈥� and children鈥檚 use of social media and disciplinary issues tied to cellphones, there鈥檚 been an increased action to restrict or ban the devices.
It was a topic that was due to arise at this year鈥檚 National Education Association representative assembly鈥攁 conference that brings together thousands of teacher delegates from across the country to deliberate some of the most pressing concerns for educators鈥攂ut it never did after the assembly was cut short when the union鈥檚 staff went on strike.
NEA members ask union for 鈥榮trong鈥� policies on cellphones and smartwatches in classrooms
One proposed new business item鈥攁n item delegates vote on that directs the NEA to do something for a year, but isn鈥檛 a permanent statement of belief鈥攁sks the union to compile information on best practices for cellphones and then develop 鈥渟trong unambiguous policies regarding the possession and use of cellphones and smartwatches in classrooms.鈥�
Though delegates did not vote on the item earlier this month, the union鈥檚 board of directors is expected to vote on nearly 100 outstanding new business items, or NBIs, although the NEA has not said when that will happen, and did not respond to EdWeek鈥檚 request for comment.
Melinda Person, one of the educators behind the cellphone business item and president of the New York State United Teachers, said that rank-and-file union members in New York kept bringing up the impact of cellphones in the classroom and feeling that they were, in their words, 鈥渢he cellphone police.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e really looking for some direction at the national level for what is the best practice, what is the way to go with a real focus on what鈥檚 best for our students, what鈥檚 best for kids,鈥� she said.
Matt Dado, a robotics and engineering teacher at Quaker Valley High School in Leetsdale, Pa., for his doctorate and found that many of the teachers he spoke to didn鈥檛 feel prepared to handle cellphones in the classroom. Even when he was going to college to become a teacher, no one brought up the possibility of grappling with cellphones once he would become a teacher, he said.
And there鈥檚 so much variation in how districts鈥攐r even each teacher鈥攈andles the issue. Some teachers he spoke to had cellphone pockets to keep them out of student鈥檚 hands during class; others allowed for them to be out for music or to search for an answer.
Eventually, he said, he thinks some higher-level decisionmaking, either by the legislature or the union, may be necessary.
鈥淚 think now more than ever, post-COVID, you could make the case students no longer need access to a cellphone because they have access to a device which was, pre-COVID, the reason for bringing a [cellphone] into the classroom,鈥� he said.
School climate improved after strict cellphone policies took effect
When Rounds鈥� district in New York considered the policy, he was one of the outspoken educators who felt it was unnecessary. The district had a policy where cellphones had to be tucked into a pocket hung up in each classroom, which he felt was sufficient and perhaps just needed universal enforcement.
After the new policy took effect this year, Rounds remembers noticing how loud the hallways had gotten. He realized it was because no one was on their phones. Halfway through the school year, he realized he hadn鈥檛 had to police a single student鈥檚 use of their phone.
鈥淎necdotally, I feel like there was a lot less stress and anxiety this year than there had been in the previous few years,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 wish I had a way to quantify that better. It鈥檚 just I鈥檝e been doing this a long time, and you get a pretty good vibe for your school and building after all those years, and the whole building felt more relaxed and generally happier this year in terms of the students.鈥�
(The Washington-Baltimore News Guild, which represents eligible staff of Education Week, previously issued a statement of support for the NEA staff union. Education Week is an independent, nonpartisan media organization whose newsroom managers retain editorial control over the content of articles.)
