The reason? No more cellphones.
“It’s the best start to a school year I have had in over a decade,” Amy Melissa Hyde commented in response to an AL.com question on Facebook. “Students have even begrudgingly admitted that they are more productive and have less anxiety. It’s been wonderful. Anyone complaining about this hasn’t spent time in a classroom lately.”
Alabama’s new FOCUS Act prohibits most students from using cellphones, smart watches and other electronic communication devices during the school day. State leaders say the goal is to keep students more engaged in class, cut down on behavior problems and promote healthy Internet use.
Students will only be able to use devices at school if:
- They are eligible for accommodations through an individualized education, health or 504 plan
- The device is needed for learning purposes and they are under the supervision of school staff
- There is an emergency threatening the life or safety of the student or another person
“Today, all of my students — 100 percent of them — took notes in my class, did their assignments, asked for help when they got stuck and turned it in,” Tuscaloosa County High history teacher Jonathan Buchwalter said in a viral TikTok video, his face frozen in shock. “And then when they were done, they … talked to each other.”
“Was it this easy the whole time?” he asked. “I’ve been pulling my hair out for like, eight years.”
WHAT ARE PARENTS, TEACHERS SAYING ABOUT THE FOCUS ACT?
AL.com asked Facebook readers how the bans are playing out in their schools. We received more than 400 comments.
Several educators said they’ve noticed more students interacting in class and in the hallways.
“I’ve actually enjoyed watching the students outside at break,” said Kathy Green. “They are interacting, talking, laughing, with no heads looking down at phones.”
“The classroom culture is drastically better,” added Patrick Harris. “Best educational move in decades.”
“The best thing to happen to education in our state in years!” said Nikki Gaither Miñoso. “Kids are paying attention and engaged, scores are up, and I want to go to work every single day.”
Rules differ from school to school, but every district must have a baseline policy that spells out how the ban will be enforced. In some districts, punishments range from in-school suspension to a trip to the local district attorney’s office, according to recent reporting from Alabama Daily News.
Some teachers are still figuring out how to help their students move away from common classroom habits — like using their phones to take photos of slides or sign up for school reminders. Others hope to see schools incentivize a phone-free classroom, rather than take a punitive approach.
“It takes adjustments from all sides,” said Richard Hall.
Some students have also figured out workarounds, using their school emails to communicate with friends and parents. Others have found more creative ways to test the limits of the law.
“I had a student break out a portable CD player and a book of CDs he got from his pops,” said Reese Hogue. “I had a good old belly laugh (then told him to put it up ... it’s a personal electronic device too.)”
State Superintendent Eric Mackey said the state will roll out a larger survey in September to see exactly how schools are complying.
“We’re living in a digital, technological world,” he told reporters after an August board meeting. “They’re definitely still going to be using screens at school, but as much as we can, we need to kind of keep those things away from students as far as their downtime during school.”
School officials say that if an emergency occurs, families should first look for any messaging from the district and law enforcement. If needed, parents can contact the school office or send an email to the student’s school email address. Some districts are adjusting emergency procedures to ensure parents are more quickly alerted in the event of a threat.
“Honestly it hasn’t been as hard as I expected,” said Wendy Wheeler Smith. “Still don’t like that I can’t reach them in real time, but I did it at that age and we are surviving.”
But still, some news just can’t wait until the final bell.
“My daughter did not find out about Taylor Swift’s engagement until after school,” said Renie Porter Moss. “We are currently seeking therapy.”
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