Commonwealth-wide conversations about cell phone bans in schools are ongoing

Roanoke, Virginia – What is the big deal in Virginia when it comes to cell phones in classrooms?

Following Governor Youngkin’s directive, school systems are developing policies, while many specifics still need to be ironed out.

It is still up for debate whether or not kids should have their phones returned to them at specific points during the school day instead of giving them up completely.

Being unable to reach their children in an emergency or if their children already experience anxiety or mental health problems and depend on cell phones for communication are two of the biggest worries for parents.

Some parents are accustomed to having contact with their children at all times, including during class. Parent Teiko McCollough stated, “That is also problematic, and it seems like a lot of the change is not just for the student, but having the parental understanding that access has to change.”

State leaders in charge of education claim to be collaborating with school nurses to address these issues.

Dr. Lisa Coons, the superintendent of the Virginia Department of Education, stated, “They are getting ready to release a mental health support toolkit and all of our school nurses across the Commonwealth are being in youth mental health first aid training.”

The state will also provide funding to schools so that they can host family nights with administrators and talk about ways to help parents connect with their children while they are in class, deal with cell phone addiction, and address mental health issues.

Concerns have also been raised over potential differences in the rules between age groups.

It will be challenging for some parents of middle school and high school students to make the changeover because their children have grown up around cell phones and are reliant on them.

Some parents of primary school students think the no cell phone ban is good for their kids since it will affect their learning habits from an early age and will last a lifetime.

“You really expect to be having those kinds of conversations at a much older age, but they’re exposed to certain things,” McCollough said.

Many school districts are already enforcing their own no-cell phone bans, even though the Department of Education has until September 16th to complete plans for the statewide mobile phone-free policy.

Teachers at those schools report that when students put their phones away in boxes or lockers, they have more time for teacher-student collaboration, less distractions, and fewer disputes during class because they aren’t using social media.

“They are not learning while they have their phones out. I believe it’s a terrific idea, said teacher Heather D., since the kids can always go to the office or the parents can always call the office if they need to get in touch with their parents.

Local school districts have until January 1, 2025, to decide how to set up cell phone-free zones within their buildings.