As more states adopt school cellphone bans and districts across the country adapt to phone-free classrooms, leaders of one district are pushing their state lawmakers to reject a statewide ban.
Connecticut lawmakers are considering a “bell-to-bell” cellphone ban in schools statewide, intended, like many other states that have taken similar legislative measures, to cut down on distractions and improve kids’ mental health. To date, 35 states and the District of Columbia require school districts to ban or restrict students’ use of cellphones in schools, according to an Education Week tally, but Connecticut is not among them.
Leaders of the 8,300-student Meriden district near Hartford are calling on legislators to abandon the proposed cellphone ban and allow schools to make policy decisions for themselves. Schools are well-positioned to teach students about responsible social media and phone use, and to help kids create a positive digital footprint to set them up for long-term success after high school graduation, leaders said during a panel session of the National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tenn., earlier this month, hosted by AASA, The School Superintendents Association.
“We believe that technology is a tool for students, and by banning cellphones—banning any device—students will always find a way to circumvent that,” said Barbara Haeffner, assistant superintendent of teaching and innovation. “So it’s really about teaching students, for the six hours a day we have them, healthy digital habits so that they’re able to manage the technology.”
The district doesn’t have a “free-for-all” phone policy, she said, and limits students’ phone use to teacher-approved instructional use—to take photos for projects or to use AI to transcribe notes, for example. Students aren’t allowed to use their phones outside of the academic context, such as to text with friends or browse social media. And teachers can request that phones be turned off and put away during class.
When Meriden schools first adopted their policy, there was inconsistent implementation across classrooms, and teachers struggled to get students to comply with the rules, the district leaders said. It became clear that the district needed to ensure teachers were implementing the policy across the board so students understood the rules and expectations of them while in class. Now, teachers rarely report problems, the leaders said.
“We had to tell teachers if your colleague next door, or if you’re that colleague, is not enforcing a policy consistently, regardless of what it is, you will have a problem,” Haeffner said.
Proponents of a statewide, bell-to-bell ban have said the measure is necessary because phones have become major disruptions to learning and that the compulsion to check a phone remains even if it’s in a student’s pocket or backpack.
The legislation was the subject of a public hearing late last week.
Using an ‘asset-based approach’ to cellphone and social media use
The Meriden district views social media and technology from an “asset-based approach” rather than focusing on the potential downsides, Haeffner said.
District leaders are using that mindset to set an example for kids, by modeling responsible use of social media themselves.
The district examines how social media can be used as a tool in five different domains: human resources, curriculum and instruction, school climate, operations, and connecting with the community.
The town’s government recently conducted a survey and asked residents how they prefer to receive news about local happenings. Nearly 80% of respondents said they rely on social media, so the district knows it is right to invest in social media posts to promote school news, awards and recognitions, reminders about upcoming events, and just for fun, said Susan Moore, Meriden’s director of instructional technology.
Those are all things that are happening anyway, so the fodder for the posts is already there, Superintendent Mark Benigni added. There’s no need to dream up posts, he said, if you strategically use events that are already happening.
But, Haeffner said, districts can have a little fun, too.
Adding some creative posts to the mix can help build connections in the community, she said. For example, asking staff members to submit photos of their pets for a “pet of the week” feature or just posting a photo of a new hire with information about their role can go a long way in making people feel engaged and welcome.
Social media can also be a great tool for student-athletes to showcase their skills to college coaches, or for students in arts programs to get exposure, she said.
“That opens up their world,” Haeffner said. “It’s really amazing the difference it can make.”
