Rebekah Dennis

This paper has been hung in every classroom setting new expectations around technology

Mead High School implemented a new school-wide cell phone classroom ban at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.

The new policy states that any use of cell phones, headphones, or other electronic devices not regarding educational purposes will no longer be tolerated. The result of not following these guidelines leads to confiscation of the device by teachers, who are then instructed to bring said device to the front office or another staff member.

If a student can not seem to follow these instructions, parent involvement will be further discussed between the student and an administrator, according to the policy.

These rules and expectations were communicated to students by their teachers in class at the beginning of this school year in Advisory classes.

Tolerance of phone usage during class time has not changed, according to administration; however, it is simply being more enforced this year. Instead of teachers having to monitor their students by themselves, they are now receiving help from administrators. This creates a more structured system for all parties involved, lifting the pressure from teachers’ shoulders.

Since cell phones have been created, the need to regulate them within the school walls has been an ongoing conversation. In recent years, there has been more awareness of the distractions that phone usage during class time brings.

More active engagement and focus are the main goals behind the implementation of this policy. And there has already been a noticeable shift within the classroom environments. Students and teachers have acknowledged the behavioral switch in classrooms.

“I think overall, kids are more engaged when you can separate yourself a little bit from your device, just for a little bit.”, said Ms Sandoval, a Social Studies teacher.

Some students have voiced their concerns about how strict this policy is. They feel that in emergencies not having access to their phones would be a big problem. Along with this, other students have more responsibilities, like needing to monitor health issues or being someone else’s emergency contact.

However, these concerns can be worked through with a one-on-one discussion with their teachers and administration.

While some students have been skeptical of this policy, others have expressed their gratitude towards it. As they feel it is improving the school environment and usage of time spent during class.

“People’s attention spans in classes are getting longer, and people are doing more of their work, people are more motivated in our classrooms, and I see way fewer phones than I’ve ever seen,” Taylor Morris (‘25) said.

Responsible technology use within the school will continue to be an ongoing discussion. However, as of right now, the expectations have been set in place, along with the consequences that will occur if students choose to not comply.