Seattle schools adopt districtwide student phone limits
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Seattle Public Schools is enacting new rules banning students from using cellphones during class.
Why it matters: Individual Seattle schools — along with states across the country — have imposed new cellphone limits in recent years. But the district hasn't adopted consistent standards until now.
Zoom in: The new districtwide policy, which takes effect Monday, will require students in grades K-8 to put their phones away for the entire school day.
- High schoolers will be allowed to have their phones out during passing periods and during lunch, but will be restricted during class time.
What they're saying: "We believe that cellphones are things that really can take away from the instruction of our children," Seattle Public Schools superintendent Ben Shuldiner said at a school board meeting Thursday.
- "We want to make sure that we have clear guidelines moving forward."
The big picture: The new Seattle policy means the state's largest district will be a step ahead of the state itself in adopting school cellphone rules.
- Washington recently received a failing grade from several national advocacy groups for not approving statewide restrictions.
Catch up quick: Before deciding on a permanent policy, the district observed five Seattle schools that had cellphone limits in place and analyzed what was working, SPS associate superintendent Rocky Torres-Morales said at Thursday's board meeting.
- "The bottom line is when phones are away during instruction, schools see better focus, fewer disruptions, and clear expectations," Torres-Morales said.
Yes, but: Having a policy that allows high school students to use phones outside of instructional time "supports student independence," according to a slideshow presentation to the school board.
Schools will have flexibility in how they choose to handle student phone storage.
- For instance, the district isn't mandating that phones be placed in secure bags called Yondr pouches, which are already in use in some Seattle schools.
- Students who need to use personal devices for medical reasons or as part of a special education plan will still be able to do so.
What's next: Parents will be able to reach their children during the school day through their school's front office.
- District-issued devices will still be allowed as part of instruction.