Smart Devices

Proposed legislation approved in the Pennsylvania State Senate would give school districts money for lockable pouches to store student phones if those districts ban cell phone use during the school day.

As the California legislature works on a bill to restrict cellphone usage in classrooms, school administrators who have seen kids addicted to their phones at young ages are open to the idea and hope it provides guidance.

Many Bay Area school districts already restrict cellphone use in schools but allow students to use their phones during non-instructional time. Students and staff have mixed opinions on the idea of a statewide policy.

To curb distractions during class, a school district in North Alabama will no longer allow non-school-issued student devices to connect to its network, exempting students with certain medical conditions.

Teachers and administrators are finding it increasingly difficult to get students to focus in class, and a district-wide policy for collecting phones would avoid putting the onus on teachers to confront defiant students.

If students are on their phones too much, it has at least something to do with learning that behavior from adults. As schools ban phones, it becomes increasingly important for parents and teachers to put theirs down, too.

Katy Independent School District in Texas approved a policy prohibiting elementary and middle school students from having smart watches in school, and high school students from having them during instructional time.

Legislation recently advanced by the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee would enlist various districts to participate in a two-year pilot program to test the impact of locking up student cellphones during the day.

Faculty at Fredericksburg City Public Schools in Virginia overwhelmingly say the district should make clear to students and their families that only school-issued devices will be allowed during instructional time.

With at least two potential bills dealing with smartphones in schools moving through the California legislature, some schools in Folsom and Roseville have already implemented policies limiting phone access during class.

Teen addiction to smartphones is as observable as the noses on their faces, and the effects are increasingly backed up by data. Schools that keep phones out of reach during class see better grades and less cyber bullying.

Recent surveys by Carroll County Public Schools in Maryland found support for banning phones throughout the school day was highest among teachers, lower among parents, and lowest among students.

HearMeWA, a statewide hotline and mobile app from the Washington Attorney General's Office, is for youth facing anything from food insecurity to social difficulties, suicidal thoughts or threats of violence at school.

A high school biology teacher in Arizona says he will not be returning to the classroom next year, in part because he found it so draining to pour his heart into students whose attention was consumed by mobile apps.

Apple Intelligence, the company's suite of AI features, can proofread and rewrite documents, generate images and emojis, transcribe phone calls and voice memos, summarize emails and lectures, and solve math problems.

An "away-for-the-day" policy, which required sixth-grade students to have their cellphones turned off and out of sight for the entirety of the school day, led to "less drama, less bullying and less harassment."

Chief administrator of Indian River Central School District in New York said he welcomes the idea of a statewide policy restricting the use of smartphones during class, which have become controversial and distracting.

Endorsing potential legislative action for the next session, Gov. Kathy Hochul suggested banning smartphones from schools, but possibly allowing cell phones that can send text messages and not access the Internet.