The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School committee voted 5–3 on a new policy to lock away student cell phones and other personal devices during school hours.
The “away for the day” policy will give each student a pouch in which to stow their technology during the school day. Mobile phones, previously collected before class, will now be locked in the pouch. Earbuds, headphones, and smartwatches are to be locked away, as may other personal devices.
The policy does accompany the school providing a Chromebook for every student, and is the product of a state grant to reduce student distractions, multiple public forums, and a school task force.
The rule passed three weeks before the coming school year.
School staff have strongly supported a Chromebook for every student. All of 66 teachers the school polled supported such a policy.
Principal Sara Dingledy predicts students will be frustrated at first, but says she looks forward to creating a richer learning environment.
“I think we are anticipating that it’s going to feel like a huge disruption for students,” she told The Times. “We believe it’s the right thing to do for students, and is good for the school and for work we have about teaching prosocial behavior and keeping student education at the center … we know that if you persist through it, that the outcomes are really positive.”
The policy points to reduced distractions, enhanced social interaction, mental health benefits, and improved academic performance as desired outcomes of a phone- and social-media-free learning environment.
“Research indicates that reducing phone usage addresses the current trend of social deprivation among adolescents, by encouraging students to interact more with their peers in the hallways, in the cafeteria, and during down time,” the rules read.
The high school joins many schools nationwide in strictly regulating phone use. The New York Times reported this month that eight states have passed laws or rules this year to limit student phone use at school.
Before adding the changes in the student handbook, the MVRHS school committee debated new updates to the proposal, how to best communicate the policy’s punishments to students, and whether its rules were well-defined.
The policy also lays out tiers of punishments for repeat infractions. The school will confiscate a phone after a first prohibited use, and the student’s parent or guardian will be notified.
For a second phone offense, the device is confiscated, and only the student’s parent or guardian can retrieve it at the school. The student will also have to serve detention and sign a behavioral contract agreeing to comply.
Third and repeat violations lead to the previous parental-retrieval punishment, as well as in-school suspension and possible loss of extracurricular activities. The student and parents at this point must also attend a conference with teachers and a school administrator.
”Burner phones” mentioned in the rules — which Principal Dingledy told The Times refers to nonfunctional or decoy phones meant to dupe the system — will be confiscated permanently. Realistic-looking prop phones of many models are widely available online.
Dingledy said at Monday’s committee meeting that students can take their phones outside the building during open campus time, and that the school will not search bags or add metal detectors.
The three votes against the policy were committee members Mike Watts, Skipper Manter, and Kathryn Shertzer.
At the meeting, Watts criticized the use of the word “may” in the proposed handbook changes, saying that it amounts to a concerning lack of certainty. The rules read, “The student may face in-school suspension for continued noncompliance.”
He also asked for more concrete language as to how the school would determine punishment, including for students with other kinds of violations.
“[For] a kid who’s had one vaping incident and three earbud problems, are we going to take away soccer for that kid?” he posed.
Principal Dingledy defended the rule’s use of “may,” saying that a punitive environment is not the policy’s goal. She also noted that the student handbook mandates hearings and discretion before student punishments.
“We aren’t a judge and jury,” she said after Watt’s concerns. “Putting a ‘will’ in there is like having a zero-tolerance [policy], and there’s no conversation, there’s no restorative stuff, there’s no wiggle room.”
“If the perception is that it’s all just about consequences, I think that would be a shame,” she added.
Watts also asked what allowances would be made for students who monitor medical conditions on a personal device. Dingledy replied that the school would work to make exceptions. A frequently-asked-questions document she shared with the commtitee after the vote also states that students with medical issues requiring phone use will be allowed to do so under their 504 plans, which support students with disabilities.
Committee member Kelly Scott asked the school for updates at the end of the school year on how violators were disciplined.
Dingledy, speaking to The Times, explained the history behind the new rules, which started with an $18,000 grant from the state to reduce student distractions caused by technology. She added that the school has held two forums open to parents and community members, and formed a technology team that approached the policy in the first half of 2023.
Rising eighth graders were notified of the policy in the works this spring. One student concern, Dingledy recalled, was that students will not have their phones at lunch. “The typical things we heard were that if you don’t have someone to sit with at lunch, the phone is a good outlet,” she said. To promote socialization at lunch, Dingledy said the school will hold lunches with more students together, and encourage other social and athletic activities.
The school’s information technology (IT) head also heavily supported the Chromebook policy. IT director Rick Mello told the committee in April that the policy would save class time by eliminating all the non-Chromebook IT issues he has to solve.
A student will have to replace the Yondr-brand device pouch if lost. The first replacement will cost $15. Further replacements will cost $30 each, approximately the cost of the pouch according to the policy.
Schools new policy. Asking for a friend…Are we getting our students ready for prison life? Or the real world where everyone has technology. Teaching and modeling good behavior seems more appropriate.
Kimberly–I know a few teachers at the high school.
They say that many students are constantly texting and doing various
things on their phones, rather than paying attention
to the lesson at hand. The school has a mandate to
educate students, It’s not be a daycare center that
allows them to do what they want.
You say “Teaching and modeling good behavior seems more appropriate”.
It’s hard to teach when someone is texting their boyfriend or girlfriend
about how great the sex they had last night was.
And I know the teachers don’t stand in front of the room
and text or watch a meem while the students wait.
Isn’t that “modeling good behavior” ?
Getting into the real world and not knowing
anything your teachers tried to teach you increases your
odds of winding up in prison.
It will only work if we have follow through during all 180 days. As a parent of a senior of course we will be supporting the school “rule”. Fingers crossed that we will see consistency by all. Hopefully the grant money of $18k will cover all the chrome books and bags, over 400 students. Would hate for our tax money or school budget to get hit with any additional expense. When we have other areas that desperately needs support.
Teaching modern technology is appropriate.
We are getting our children for modernity.
Sorry but the real world of attention is necessary to retain educational information. When students choose to watch movies or lean on a distractive (un)social media, that lesson is worthless and the curriculum that the teacher has prepared is worthless. (These are the facts from a High School teacher who is witness to this everyday in a school with no policy and it leaves to no options but to fail students who won’t perform and that gives no alternatives)
You have the same name as Truxton Canyon in Arizona. How odd. That would be like my parents naming me Grant’s Tomb. But I agree with you on no cell phones in school. Wish someone would help me limit my time on my phone.
I got through school without a phone just fine.
That was back when America was great.
What year was that?
Tell your friend “No, they’re not getting them ready for prison life.” Kids need to learn in class, not be distracted.
Agreed, Bill. It’s sad to me that a day spent without phone access is seen as punishment or the denial of something vital.
Yes, the real world has broad access, and sometimes people take advantage of that to society’s detriment. Not to mention their own.
How many text while walking or, even worse, driving? Paying no attention to their surroundings? Time to foster better habits.
It’s a benefit to the developing brain—from toddlerhood through the teen years and beyond—to go without screens for long periods.
https://screenstrong.org/kidsbrainsandscreens/
Kids need to learn modern technology, not have it banned.
The point has flown all over your head.
Smart phones are a learning tool?
Do you use one?
This is the best thing you can do!!
I agree 100%. The distractions cell-phones cause impede a student’s ability to learn.
This will make a real difference for our kids. No one needs a phone in their hand 24/7
Teachers have been asking for this ever since phones were mistakenly allowed in school in the first place. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Take the little darlings phones away and ignore their crying!!!! Tell them to deal with it!!! We didn’t have phones when we were their age, OR Electricity!!!!!!
EXCELLENT! I’m so happy to read about this plan. Students are addicted, as are adults, to devices. Teachers spend too much of class time policing technology and students social skills are dwindling.
I look forward to future reportings about this plan
Are you people listening to yourselves? How would you like to be told to not bring your phone to work? These are soon to become adults and have enough problems with school, family. and peers…. and you are taking away their world, basically…. and what makes you think banning cell phones will make students attentive in class? If “please turn off your phones during class” is not enough, there is a problem with the whole school system, and parenting.. Florida is a place you should consider moving to, they banned cell phones in school… but don’t expect to see Toni Morrison in the school library…
I recommend you go into a school and witness the amount of attention that is not given while these devices are available, and if you think to ask them to shut it off, will work, you’ll be fooled many more times. There kids remember?
As a parent of a High School student I wish we could move to Florida! The people are so much nicer and open minded there.
Absolutely agree that phones should NOT be in the classroom, that rule was already in place. I’m sure most people including the students agree that phones should NOT be used during class time instruction. During orientation we were told that phones were put in a bin at the start of all classes. We are trading bins for bags and taking away electronic devices during their free period such as lunch or study hall. It is 180 days I’m not overly concerned. My feelings are for those kids that might need to break away and sit outside at lunch and listen to some music, or the kids that might not have a friend at lunch and wants to read on their kindle. We automatically assume that they are using their devices for horrible things, not always and not everyone. Perhaps we could try to enforce the “Bag” rule for instruction time and not “free” time. And as some of you wrote “students are addicted” well addiction is real, going cold turkey might mean that these kids will be acting out in other ways.
What about catching teacher deviant behavior.
Should there be cameras in every classroom?
…. Really ???
I support the new plan!
Teachers are there to teach each day with students there to learn. It is not the job of teachers to have to police cell phone usage in the classroom.
There is a great book written on the effect technology has had on our entire society…including the lives of our children and adults alike.The name of the book I am referring to is: Reclaiming Conversation. The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle.
This book is an important read and a real education in the way in which the author describes what has taken place in our constant communicating is that we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection. We turn away from each other and toward our phones.We are forever elsewhere. But to empathize, to grow, to love and be loved, to take the measure of ourselves or of another, to fully understand and engage with the world around us,we must be in conversation. It is the most human-and humanizing-thing that we do.Preeminent media researcher Sherry Turkle has been studying digital culture and communication for more than 30 years.Long an enthusiast for its possibilities,she now investigates a troubling consequence.Our passion for technology tempts us away from face to face conversation, but conversation is a cornerstone for empathy as well as for democracy; it sustains the best in education and in business it is good for the bottom line.
I found this book to be very informative and a worthy read especially as an educator myself and the mother of 3 daughters 1 in middle school & 2high school.
Shirley Turkle has written many books.Another good one is Alone Together.
Check it out if you are looking for a new book… I think you will be happy you did!
That is what they said about the telegraph.
Welcome to modernity.
Make MVRHS Great Again ?
I left a comment that was not published on the radiofrequency radiation aspect of this good policy. Mass4safe technology (website https://www.ma4safetech.org) has great info on why we should hard wire computers as well and turn off the wifi. I presented this info to the people building the new high school and they should plan for hard wiring, and the EMF exposure affects the Autonomic nervous system and creates fast heart beat and anxiety in many if not just heating up in the hand. Contact me with questions anytime Lisa NAgy MD 🙂
Should we ban all radio frequency transmission.
How much is too much?
How much is at ground level near a radio tower?
Near a cell tower?
Thanks, but no thanks.
https://www.mvtimes.com/2024/04/08/state-board-disciplines-island-doctor/
It’s not about keeping kids from doing “bad” things. It’s about encouraging kids to do “good” things…like talking to each other, building relationships and self esteem.
I wish someone would take my cell phone away.
Perhaps we could get some extra pouches for the principle and the school committe members to use during meetings, not sure who the are texting under the table during the meetings but the certainty are setting a bad example and not giving the meeting their full attention.
Comments are closed.