The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) district announced a new policy in late August regulating cell phones at the middle and high school level.
Under the new policy, high school students are not allowed to use devices during instructional time, and phones “must be turned off/silenced and stored out of sight,” according to a newly created district webpage titled “Engage Minds, Limit Screens.“ Devices must be put away during bathroom breaks and until bells ring to dismiss students from class. These rules also apply to the Tiger Flex block on Thursdays.
If permitted by the teacher, students are allowed to use their devices for “a quick check of messages, school-related apps and medical reasons,” according to the district policy.
Students who violate the policy will be subject to disciplinary action. The first and second offense will result in a verbal warning from the instructor or the notification of a parent or guardian. A third violation will result in administration confiscating the student’s device, which the student can then pick up at the end of the school day.
A fourth violation will result in a parent or guardian having to pick up the confiscated device from the office at the end of the school day. A fifth violation will result in a consequence determined by an administrator.
The new policy comes in the wake of at least eight states passing statewide rules and regulations regarding cell phones in schools. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, over 70 percent of high school teachers believe that cell phone use is becoming a large problem in the classroom.
Social studies teacher Ryan Evans believes that the distractions caused by cell phones have negative repercussions on learning. “Cell phones are a huge problem and a lot of students do not understand that there is a need for education. Phones and distractions stop us from getting things done,” Evans said.
Andy Jenks, the district’s Chief Communications Officer, said that teachers in the district have been echoing Evans’s sentiment.
“Feedback we’ve been receiving from teachers, principals and parents says that now was the time to act,” Jenks said. “As for forming the rules, it was a collaboration of teacher, principal and parent input, which we then presented to our Board of Education for approval prior to the start of the current school year.”
Concerns about inappropriate cell phone use extend beyond learning. According to the New York Times, students are using cell phones to “bully” their peers, and social media comments can have negative impacts on students.
The “Engage Minds, Limit Screens” webpage notes that the district’s decision to create a new policy stemmed from studies that reported the negative impacts of cell phone use such as “distraction, cyberbullying, academic dishonesty, social isolation, physical health issues, sleep disruption, privacy concerns, reduced physical activity and addiction.”
Jenks noted that the negative impacts of cell phone usage outweigh the positives in a classroom setting. “We recognize that our phones are an important part of how all of us connect to our loved ones, friends and the world around us. At the same time, we also believe it’s important to do all we can to keep the focus on classroom instruction during school time,” Jenks said.
Math teacher Keith Cooper endorsed the new policy and believes that constant cell phone use harms students. “Growing up with distractions is not just keeping kids from being able to pay attention, but it’s also damaging their mental health and their ability to deal with stress,” Cooper said.
Spanish teacher Maite Lamberri is also in favor of the new policy. “Finally the district made a policy that we can reinforce, which is the hard part,” Lamberri said. “I think that students should understand the policy and stop trying to get away with using their phones.”
Student opinions about the effectiveness and importance of the policy are mixed.
Senior Miria Say believes that the new policy may create challenges in urgent situations. “When an emergency comes up, it might be difficult to reach out to other people if we can’t access our phones,” Say said.
Senior Bryan Castevens said the new policy has had an immediate positive impact upon classroom learning. “It helps us pay more attention and helps us learn the material better as we’re not as distracted,” Castevens said. “There are times when people use their phones, but it’s not as much as last year. It’s definitely changing for the better.”
Sophomore Jessica Largent has a different perspective on the policy. “The cell phone policy can be frustrating at times when I am trying to communicate, but I don’t see it affecting me so much,” Largent said.
Prior to this year, the district only had a policy regarding wireless communication devices, such as student Chromebooks. Under the new policy, middle school students are required to place their phones in their lockers for the entirety of the school day.
