Ban Cell Phones from Decatur Public Schools… Now

This is the easiest article we’ve ever written.  DPS administration and Board Members say they want to make learning a priority, that they want to do whatever it takes to lessen the achievement gap between disadvantaged students and those with means, that they want to help this generation of youth which self-diagnose as more unhappy than older generations, and now is their chance to help.  We can talk about it, or we can do something.  Other schools, districts, and even countries are banning smartphones from the classroom, and we can either let everyone else move out ahead of us or we can jump on the pro-learning wave.  France banned smartphones in primary and middle schools in 2018.  Ontario, Canada has enacted significant restrictions on student cellphone use in schools.  Two districts in Missouri banned cell phones last month. Around the country in private schools, large school districts, and even at the state level smartphone use among students is under evaluation. Heck, even extremely liberal California passed a law in 2019 explicitly authorizing:

…a school district, a county office of education, or a charter school to adopt a policy to limit or prohibit the use by its pupils of smartphones

Do not make the mistake in thinking this California law was necessary for schools districts to legally ban cell phones, the California law begins (and you can read the whole text here) by stating :

Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district or its designee to regulate the possession or use of any electronic signaling device

More from the California law…

The London School of Economics and Political Science published a May 2015 study that found that test scores improved significantly at schools that banned mobile phone use, and that the most significant gains in pupil performance were made by the most disadvantaged and underachieving pupils. The study concluded that “schools could significantly reduce the education achievement gap by prohibiting mobile phone use in schools.”

And…

Dr. Jean Twenge, who is a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, published a book in 2017 entitled “iGen,” which presents evidence of an increase in depression and suicide among American teenagers that may be caused by increased mobile device screen time and social media use. According to Dr. Twenge, 8th grade pupils who spend 10 or more hours per week on social media are 56 percent more likely to describe themselves as unhappy than those who devote less time to social media. Moreover, teenagers who spend three hours per day or more on electronic devices are 35 percent more likely to demonstrate risk factors for suicide, such as suicidal ideation, and teenagers who spend five or more hours per day on their devices are 71 percent more likely to demonstrate a risk factor for suicide.

Look folks, the evidence is clear – more learning will take place in a school when the students do not have access to smartphones.  But, for thoroughness I’ll list some of the reasons to ban cell phones, and then reasons why we should not:

1.      More learning will take place.  A teacher at MacArthur told us, and this is a direct quote,

“we say we want to do something to help underachieving students, why not actually DO something about it?  Taking cell phones out of my classroom is the easiest thing that will have an immediate impact.” 

(See above and visit a DPS school if you require further proof.) 

2.      Happier students. Yes, really!  It’s time to take this part of the issue seriously too.
(See above and visit a DPS school if you require further proof.

And, if that isn’t enough (which, come on man, it should be!) these next six are from an open letter to parents from two Missouri districts that recently banned cell phones.

3.      Students taking videos and pictures of other students in the bathroom and posting on social media.

4.      Students making audio recordings of test reviews and listening to them while taking a test.

5.      Students using phones while in locker rooms.

6.      Pictures taken of other students in the classroom without permission and posted to social media.

7.      Making videos and posting on Tik-Tok.

8.      Substantial amounts of conflicts that begin on social media or through text messages.

Here are some of the reasons why we should not ban cell phones.  Some of the reasoning is from one of our School Board Members, Alana Banks, in a Facebook discussion on the topic, noted with (AB) below.

1.      What if there was an emergency where a student’s life depends on their cellphone. (AB)
Response: active shooter, tornado, whatever - I would rather have my child following school protocols to stay out of harm.  I’m so sure a student is better off in these situations to follow protocol; I’m not going to spend a few hours searching the internet for proof.

2.      Teachers incorporate cell phones and educational apps into their lesson plans. (AB)
Response: I don’t think so.  If there are teachers using cell phones, I feel sorry for the kids that either don’t have phones or whose parent won’t let them take them to school.  And don’t we give out iPads to all the kids anyway?

3.      Parents appreciate the convenience of being able to communicate with their children, especially during an emergency. (AB)
Response: Regarding real emergencies, see number 1 above.  Regarding convenience: yeah, I get that.  This is certainly one of the give-and-takes for better education.  But keep in mind that during school or after school there will always be an adult supervising, ready to help with a phone.  And you can go ahead and say, “OK, Boomer,” but we managed these issues for about 100 years before cell phones, do you really think we can’t manage them now?  Are we suddenly all idiots?

4.      We are also in an age where everything is turning digital. Smartphones provide the opportunity to get students to be more engaged. (AB)
Response: Engaged with what?  This is what we are talking about.  We want our students engaged with learning - not with texting, gaming, watching Tik-Tok, etc.  This is exactly the point!

5.      Cellphones might provide help for a student that is being harassed or bullied.
Response:  Let’s break this one down.  First, if the problem is immediate, I would rather if my child sought help from the teacher, or office, or supervisor.  School buildings are crowded places.  Help is within reach.  But, if the problem is long-lived, or ongoing, or endemic – can a cell phone help in this situation?  In this case a parent will certainly have time to react and help without an immediate cellphone call.

What are we missing?  This issue seems so simple to us.  If you are a Board Member, learning should be your priority; if you’re in Administration please consider our children’s mental health and happiness; and finally, if you’re a parent you should ask yourself if the cell phone connection between you and your child is more important to you then the lasting harmful effect it is having on them in an educational environment.  Ban cell phones from Decatur Public Schools now.