The movement to restrict student cellphone use in schools gathered even more momentum when the California governor signed a law Sept. 23 that will require all public schools to develop and adopt cellphone policies. California—home to the nation’s largest population of K-12 students—is the fifth state to pass a law requiring districts to adopt policies that will limit cellphones in schools, according to Education Week’s cellphone policy tracker.
Growing frustration among teachers—as well as evolving research linking the overuse of cellphones to mental health and learning problems—is fueling much of this policy movement. Many teachers are struggling to keep kids focused on schoolwork rather than the notifications and content they are viewing on their phones.
That frustration was evident in the open-ended responses of teachers, principals, and district leaders to a recent EdWeek Research Center survey. One of their biggest frustrations centers on parents, many of whom feel the need to be in constant contact with their children, often sending their kids questions or reminders during class time. Parents also cite safety concerns as a reason for their kids to have access to their devices during the school day. That puts the child in an awkward position, not knowing whether to ignore a parent or disobey a teacher.
Following are survey responses from educators that illustrate the frustration with cellphone use by students and their parents during school hours as well as the difficulties of putting in place cellphone policies that work.
The responses have been edited for length and clarity and are presented in the alphabetical order of the states they came from.
Many parents regularly text their children during school hours
—Middle School Teacher (special education) | Arizona
—Middle School Teacher (math/computer science/data science) | Arkansas
—District Administrator | Illinois
—High School Principal | Iowa
—High School Teacher (special education) | Kansas
Students get argumentative when asked to put their cellphones away
—Middle School Teacher (English/language arts/literacy/reading) | Kentucky
—District Administrator | Michigan
—District Administrator (student services) | New Jersey
—Middle School Teacher (English/language arts/literacy/reading) | New Jersey
—Principal | New York
Smartwatches are a growing nuisance for schools
—Middle School Teacher (special education) | New York
—Middle School Principal | Ohio
—Middle School Teacher (special education) | Oklahoma
—Superintendent | South Dakota
—High School Teacher | Tennessee
—Elementary School Teacher (math/computer science/data science) | Texas
Students stop learning when they get texts or calls from parents during class time
—High School Teacher (math/computer science/data science) | Texas
—Middle School Teacher (science) | Texas
—High School Teacher (math/computer science/data science) | Utah
—District Administrator (special education) | Virginia
—District Administrator (curriculum and/or instruction) | Virginia
—High School Teacher (math/computer science/data science) | West Virginia
—Middle School Teacher (English/language arts/literacy/reading) | Wisconsin
Data analysis for this article was provided by the EdWeek Research Center. Learn more about the center’s work.