November 1, 2023
It was getting out of hand.
Middle school teacher Lisa Rodriguez-Davis describing her students’ use of cell phones in class prior to newly implemented rules banning the devices from use during the day.
Why It Matters: Florida passed a law in May requiring public school districts to prohibit students from using cellphones during class time. One school district, Orange County Public Schools, took the law further, prohibiting students from using their phones throughout the whole school day (including lunch and passing periods). The New York Times interviewed parents and students who voiced support for the Florida-wide no-phone rule during class time but opposed the daylong ban in their district; school staff reported students have been more engaged.
Sophia Ferrara, a 12th grade student at Timber Creek High School (an Orange County Public School), discussed the all-day ban from her phone and said, “They expect us to take responsibility for our own choices. But then they are taking away the ability for us to make a choice and to learn responsibility.” Nikita McCaskill, a government teacher at the school, said, “Oh, I love it. Students are more talkative and more collaborative.” The Timber Creek principal has reported decreased levels of bullying this year, too.
Read More:
This Florida School District Banned Cellphones. Here’s What Happened. (The New York Times)
by Emily Hooker, based in Texas
