The Broward County School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to restrict students from using cellphones in class in an effort to keep them focused in the classroom–and off social media.
The changes go into effect right away when school starts on Aug. 12.
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“It’s about us saying to students that we care so much about you, we don’t want you to use these harmful devices with these addictive tools on them which cause you mental health problems,” school board member Dr. Allen Zemen said.
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Students of all grades will have to store their phones away and place them on airplane mode, unless their teacher tells them otherwise. The restrictions will be enforced from the start of the school day until the end, including during lunch. The new move also completely bans headphones, including AirPods.
School board members said phones have been a major distraction to students, but they’ll still have access to the devices if there’s an emergency.
“This is a bold move. We need to be careful how we train principals and teachers to deal with it,” Zemen said.
Zemen said cellphones have become too much of a distraction.
“It’s gonna change the amount of learning that happens. It’s gonna change the amount of time they talk to other students. It’s gonna change the teacher’s ability to teach those students and capture their attention,” he said.
But what about emergencies?
Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn said students will be able to get their phones back or take them out, which is why the district didn’t go for a complete ban.
“I want to be able to get in touch with my kid when something happens, and I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to provide those opportunities in the case of an emergency,” Hepburn said.
Debbi Hixon, vice chair of the school board, supports the new rule as a good compromise, rather than banning phones altogether.
Her husband, Chris, was killed during the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
“In my instance, when Chris didn’t answer the phone, I knew immediately something was wrong,” she said. “As a person who has been impacted, I understand the necessity of being able to have that in an emergency situation. But I do understand as a teacher how disruptive cellphones are.”
A state law passed last year banning most cellphone use during class, but that was often ignored.
Meanwhile, in Miami-Dade County, phones will still be allowed, but the district passed an educational measure Wednesday to teach kids how to better manage their screen time.
Rather than restricting the use of cellphones, the board unanimously approved a measure that would direct the superintendent to develop a plan to create programs that encourage parental involvement in managing and monitoring their children’s screen time.
There would be workshops and seminars as well as web resources and pamphlets outlining the risks of excessive screen time and tips for healthier digital habits. Miami-Dade County must submit those educational plans to a committee to consider next month.
