Teachers want cell phones out of classrooms.

Teachers back student smartphone restriction policies with strong support. 

  • “Phones make teaching impossible. If I’m being held accountable for students learning I do not want them to have access to phones because class becomes a battle against phones. All for the blame being shifted to policy so I don’t have to litigate why phones can’t be out. Any system that involves teachers handling this becomes a “but the other teacher lets me!” battle all day every day. Useless distraction from learning and students end up experiencing stress over it because as research has shown being separate from your phone is now stressful to people. We need to just normalize no phone during the day for kids. The on-off of having them in certain classes, between classes, etc. is making them a constant distraction and source of indirect stress for kids. It’s necessary for the future that we just disconnect students from dopamine boxes during learning hours.” —Teacher in Alabama
    • “This. 100x this. I can either choose to help kids with their work during class or play whack-a-mole with phones. Our admin literally doesn’t have enough security personnel to run around serving detentions for all the tardies and phone violations. There is an alternate reality where we developed smartphones without all the toxic attention-grabbing apps where a ban isn’t necessary. But in the here and now, we need to put a stop to phones in schools.” —Secondary Math Teacher
  • “There is zero legitimate reason for students to have phones in schools, and plenty of negative outcomes. [The policy] is a good decision.” —Secondary Teacher in Pennsylvania
  • “I’m at a northern NY school and we implemented a ban this year and it has been amazing. There was definitely some parent push back, but not much and our super actually stood up to them. He simply said, ‘no, this is the new rule that the board approved.’ And it worked.” —Teacher in New York
  • “I’m a teacher in NY, and I fully support this. It’s the policy already at my middle school, and I never see or have to worry about phones in class. I started out teaching high school, but always said I wouldn’t go back because I didn’t want to have to fight the phone battle. Right now, the kids can have their phones any time at our high school, and it’s exhausting/demotivating for the staff.” —Middle School Teacher in New York
  • “I’m here for it at this point. I got a non-renewal once because a kid sneaking their phone wound up on my eval. It wasn’t right or fair, especially because the kid was addressed the two times I saw it, but if there’s even a chance another teacher would be held ‘accountable’ in such a way for a phone-addicted kid doing the predictable thing … It’s ridiculous to demand results from us and then throw another obstacle in the mix that makes it impossible. I spend more time being hypervigilant about phones ever since that than I do teaching.” —Secondary Teacher 
  • “100% full support. Love it. I hope Texas follows suit.” —ELA Teacher in Texas
  • “More of this, please. Our school started enforcing its cell phone ban. The results have been astounding.” —High School ELA teacher
  • “Our high school students were to keep phones in their lockers during the day. It was met with far less protestation than I expected, and students have, by-and-large, followed the new directions. It’s been a helpful move.” —ELA Teacher in Pennsylvania
  • “I am still waiting to hear from a school that imposed a cell phone ban and later concluded it was a mistake. I think I may be waiting a long time.” —Educator in New York
  • “The funny thing is that when I discussed the upcoming NY cell phone ban with my students, many complained about it. I responded that those who complained had phones on their desks or AirPods in their ears in class. I said they were the reason for the policy! The room got very quiet after that.” —High School Math Teacher in New York
  • “My state banned cellphones mid-year and it is great. My admin went full throttle as they knew the phones were a problem. A couple of my students chickened out and went virtual and I heard they want to come back next year.” —High School Teacher
  • “Every public school teacher I know is begging for a cell phone ban.” —History Teacher