This year, Roosevelt expanded the policy to cover all electronic devices, including Google Chromebooks if they are not used directly in the classroom. Additionally, the policy does not allow for the location of warnings. If a student’s electronic device is seen by a teacher or administrator, it is placed in the front office for the day. Students collect confiscated phones after school. This eliminates the power struggle between teachers and students, according to Leicham.
Mathematics teacher, Melanie Buntichai, said it is a challenge for each teacher to work on their own cell phones in the classroom before the ban. If he engages with a student who has been using his phone inappropriately in class it can take ten minutes to get to class. Since Roosevelt implemented a school-wide policy, “the students didn’t fight back,” and disruptions took less time, he said.
Leicham said students interact more during lunch now. “It’s fun to see them, you know, as children; we play together,” he said.
Roosevelt needs Common Sense Media’s digital citizenship student studies during counseling classes. According to Leicham, in the 2024-25 school year, Roosevelt aims for students to complete four courses. The school also provides Common Sense Media resources for parents covering appropriate and responsible technology use.
Student and parent responses
While parents were on board with Roosevelt’s electronic policy, students were hard to win. Leicham said being transparent helps when explaining to students why smartphones and other items don’t belong on campus. “Middle school is a time to build relationships with others,” and middle schoolers “need less screen time and more interaction with others,” Leicham said.
Psychologist Jacqueline Nesi thinks there is some truth to this. But “it’s not always that when students use screens regularly, they don’t interact at all,” said Nesi, who studies the effects of technology on children. The increased focus on social media is something a sign of youth growthsaid Nurse. However, when it comes to engagement, smartphones can be a source of disconnection and connection for middle school students. On the other hand, a student can feel left out unless they have access to the same technology as their peers. On the other hand, a student who feels “marginalized in their offline community” may find themselves with technology “even if it’s online,” Nesi said.
As happened to Lindsey, Roosevelt’s cell phone policy attracted Eiko Sugano to the school. She had hoped to enroll her child there for sixth grade, but ended up at another school at the bottom of their lottery list. For Sugano, the complete ban on cell phones and electronics is what drew him to Roosevelt. “It was definitely one of my priorities,” she said. Sugano’s son does not have a cell phone. He prefers to engage in person rather than using a device, and learn to navigate everyday challenges, such as missing the bus, without the aid of a smartphone.
Children need “increasing independence as they grow [and] there is an importance to give them opportunities to solve problems,” said Nesi. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to parenting decisions about which tools to allow teens to use and when, he added.
Lindsey held a campus and online community discussion for families about cell phone and electronics policies at her child’s elementary school last year. “Parents I feel alone in this,” he said. Coming together as a school community provided a much-needed space to “share information between parents about how they’re navigating things or what they’re worried about,” he continued.
Although Lindsey is optimistic about the future of student cell phone use in school and outside of school, she wants these discussions with electronic devices to happen quickly because children are struggling right now. “The biggest problem I can think of right now is the parents who have to fix it,” he said.
No to direct blocking, yes to targeted performance
The ban on cell phones and electronic devices dates back to Roosevelt. Some large school districts such as the Los Angeles Unified School District and New York City Public Schools check if they are already started ban on mobile phones in the region. But Culatta, the CEO of ISTE, thinks this ban is too soon. He said that turning off phones takes away students’ opportunities to learn how to use technology correctly and effectively. While the ban may sound like a satisfactory solution, “it really doesn’t prepare kids to be successful on the street,” he said. If students don’t learn digital etiquette at school, “where will they ever learn it?” Culatta asked.
Instead, Culatta advocates for school electronics policies that engage with students and “create healthy environments” for technology use. Writing these expectations in simple and straightforward language is important. Instead of telling students all the things they can do, Culatta suggested that schools clearly set standards for students to do. it can be follow. Under these technical guidelines, there should also be clear guidance about what is expected if students violate the code of conduct, said Culatta. The policy should be age specific, too.
According to Culatta, having technology guidelines instead of bans opens up learning opportunities to remind students about responsible and appropriate technology use. No ban means no consequences, Culatta said. He also said that a temporary ban would help to implement a strong and nuanced technology policy. “It’s absolutely appropriate to pause and say ‘time’s up for a second, we need all the equipment to go for a minute while we talk about what the practices are, while we talk about what this looks like’ and start bringing it back,” he said.
