3) Frequently Asked Questions

Why is our school adopting a phone-free policy?
The school day is when students need to be able to focus, learn, interact with each other, build in-person community, and engage with teachers. Study data shows that having a cell phone, even turned off in their backpack, decreases student test scores. A phone and social media free school gives students back many needed opportunities for development.

What is included in a cell phone and personal electronic device definition?

• Cell phones (both phones that connect to the internet and non-internet connected phones that send and receive text messages, and make phone calls)

• Personal electronic devices such as electronic tablets and video games

• Airpods, earbuds and Bluetooth connected headphones

• Smartwatches and fitness trackers that connect to the internet

What if my child needs their phone in case of a crisis or lockdown at the school?
School security experts say phones can make children less safe in crisis situations for the following reasons:

• Student use of cell phones during an unfolding emergency can distract their attention from safety and emergency response directions being given by school staff.

• Cell phone use by students can hamper rumor control and, in doing so, disrupt and delay effective public safety personnel response.

• Cell phone use by students can impede public safety response by accelerating parental and community arrival at the scene of an emergency during times when officials may be attempting to evacuate students to another site.

• Victims and worried family members trying to get through can jam communications, interfering with first responders.

• For more information: National School Safety and Security Services
  

How do I contact my student during the school day? (i.e. schedule change, after-school activity)
Parents and/or guardians who need to contact their student during the school day and or change the pick-up time of your child, may do so by calling the main office. Contacting your child via their cell phone during the school day distracts them from their studies and the needed in-person interaction with their teachers and peers. By having 24/7 access, we prevent growth opportunities that our children need educationally, socially, and developmentally. If students text their parents every time they have a question, they miss the opportunity to think for themselves and develop problem solving skills.

What if my child needs to contact me during the school day?
If the student needs to contact their parent or guardian during the school day, a phone will be available in the main office.

Why can’t teachers be in charge of the class and collect the phones?
Children need consistency and one policy for the entire school benefits all students. Teachers benefit by regaining classroom instructional time instead of having to police phones, as monitoring phones takes time and energy away from teaching and supporting students. If there is a consistently enforced building-wide policy in place then students are less likely to push back on the policy.

Why is it important to allow our children to be independent during the school day?
Students need to be given independence from their parents or guardians during the school day to develop foundational skills. Constant contact can fuel a cycle of anxiety for both students and parents. Research shows encouraging independence fosters a child’s self-confidence, resilience, problem-solving ability, and mental health.

What if my child has a medical condition that must be monitored by their cell phone?
A school shall require documentation from a licensed medical professional to support an exemption such as diabetes or seizure monitoring. This exception is specific to the need only and still prohibits cell phone use for any other purposes.

What if my child has an IEP/504 plan?
It is extremely rare for a cell phone to be required for an IEP/504 plan. But if the situation did arise, documentation is required and the exception is specific to the need only and still prohibits cell phone use for any other purposes.

Will it be harder for students to make connections and friends if they are offline all day?
Social media tends to foster asynchronous interactions leading to greater levels of anxiety, loneliness, and depression. In-person socializing forms far stronger connections and supports the development of healthier social and emotional skills.

Don’t some students benefit from having social media?
Even for students who use social media for connection and activism, it is still a distraction during school hours. As a school community, we work hard to foster a culture of inclusion. Our goal is to limit use during the school day to minimize disruption and mitigate the potential harms of social media dependency.

Isn’t it better to teach kids to use phones responsibly rather than take them away?
Brain science research and expert psychiatrists say the adolescent brain is not able to manage the addictive pull of cell phones and social media. The social media platforms and games that young people spend much time on were deliberately designed to be addictive. Additionally, part of teaching responsible use is creating phone-free zones that help students understand that phones are a tool to be used at specific times in specific ways, rather than being something that is on and used 24/7.

Courtesy of the Phone-Free Schools Movement