How to Change the Cell Phone Policy at School

Changing the cell phone policy at school is something parents can absolutely help make happen — and it is easier than most people think. I recently received a screenshot from a principal’s bulletin at Indian Hills Middle School announcing a strict new cell phone policy. When I asked how it happened, my friend said it was as simple as mentioning it in one PTSA meeting, having lots of support from other parents, and giving the principal excerpts from articles. Parents, this is something you can help make happen.

Before You Start: Key Principles for Changing the Cell Phone Policy at School

Come with data, not just feelings. Use an education angle and rely on research. Emotions and religious convictions are easy for administrators to brush aside. Data is not. The shift from “I feel this is harmful” to “here is a study showing test scores rise when phones are removed” is the difference between being dismissed and being taken seriously.

Get a team. It is easy to ignore one parent, but it is difficult to ignore 50. Find like-minded parents and come together. Strength in numbers is real when changing the cell phone policy at school.

Do not be anti-technology. This frightens public educators, as much of their money has been put into technology. Remind them how much you support actual technology used for education. There is a huge difference between educational technology and personal cell phones that distract from learning.

Address the parental responsibility argument. Administrators often say regulating cell phones is a parental responsibility. Remind them: when parents cannot or will not do what is necessary to keep kids safe, the school steps in — think free lunch, tutoring, counseling. Healthy screen habits should be modeled in schools so every child, regardless of background, has a fighting chance.

Raise the safety argument. Schools have a responsibility to keep kids morally and emotionally safe. If pornography is being shown during class, if cyberbullying and nude photos are being shared during the school day — that infringes on students’ right to a safe learning environment. Removing personal cell phones solves this issue almost entirely.

Insist on a school-wide, enforceable policy. You might be surprised to find your school already has a policy that it does not enforce. The most important factor in changing the cell phone policy at school is that the policy is consistent, detailed, and has real consequences. One effective model: first offense, the phone goes in the teacher’s lock box until end of class; second, taken to the office and retrieved at end of day; third, parent must come pick it up; fourth, detention or suspension.

Practical Solutions That Have Worked

Over-the-door phone pockets ($15 each) have been used in multiple schools with marked improvement in learning environments. They work best when they are a school-wide policy that ALL teachers enforce, when there are tough consequences if phones are not placed in pockets, and when teachers use the pockets to take attendance. I would suggest hanging the pockets in an area visible to the teacher at all times and having students retrieve phones the last two minutes of class — that way if anyone has stolen one, it will still be in the room.

Lock boxes work in smaller classrooms as well. Yondr pouches are another option that has been used in many schools — more time-consuming and costly, but very effective. Our school adopted over-the-door phone pockets in every classroom and there has been a marked difference in the learning environment. A mom told me her daughter used to come home and charge her phone right away — now it is at 80% when she gets home. That is a great thing.

If You Don’t Get a Good Response

Don’t be discouraged. You are planting seeds. If the principal doesn’t respond, try these avenues: meet with the PTA, meet with the Community Council, talk with teachers who are struggling and see if they will share their story, talk with counselors, start a petition, meet with the school board, or talk with other schools that have enacted change and let their success speak for itself. Please let me know if you have questions, problems, or successes — I would love to see what schools and districts do to make this happen.

Related Reading

• US students need a cell phone detox
• 10 things before getting your child a smartphone
• incredibly easy internet safety cheat sheet

Helpful External Resources

• Common Sense Media — phones in schools research for parents

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you convince a school to change their cell phone policy?

Changing the cell phone policy at school is most effective when you: come with education data not just emotions, get a team together (50 parents are harder to ignore than 1), make clear you support educational technology not personal distractions, and if the school has a policy it doesn’t enforce — that is the most powerful starting point. Come prepared, patient, and persistent.

What do schools do that have successfully banned cell phones?

Schools that succeed at changing the cell phone policy have a school-wide enforceable policy with clear consequences applied equally to all students, genuine teacher buy-in (not optional), and often a physical solution like over-the-door phone pouches. Schools with phone bans consistently report less student anxiety, more social interaction, and higher test scores.

What if the principal won’t change the cell phone policy at school?

Escalate thoughtfully: meet with the PTA, the Community Council, talk with struggling teachers and counselors, start a petition to show widespread support, meet with the school board. Contact local media only after attempting to solve things internally. You are planting seeds. Keep going.