Cellphones

Learn more about cellphones in K-12 schools—whether they are being banned, used as instructional tools, or something in between

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cellphone distraction policy bans in schools static
Which States Ban or Restrict Cellphones in Schools?
See which states are requiring cellphone restrictions or bans in schools.
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New York City School Chancellor David Banks speaking at an event at the Union Settlement Union Carver Center where the Mayor talked about a plan to improve child care and early childhood education.
New York City School Chancellor David Banks speaking at an event at the Union Settlement Union Carver Center where the Mayor talked about a plan to improve child care and early childhood education.
Michael Brochstein/Sipa via AP
Ed-Tech Policy Video School Cellphone Ban Is Critical for 'Addicted' Students, NYC Chancellor Says
"I see no good reason for the kids to have access to their phones" during the school day, Chancellor David Banks tells EdWeek.
Libby Stanford, June 28, 2024
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6 min read
Photo illustration of cell phone with red circle and slash.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Ed-Tech Policy Here's What Tech-Savvy Educators Think About Cellphone Bans in Schools
Educators at the International Society for Technology in Education's annual conference have a mix of opinions on cellphone bans.
Alyson Klein & Lauraine Langreo, June 26, 2024
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5 min read
Family Setup brings the Apple Watch experience to the entire family, including kids and older adults.
Teachers say smartwatches, like the Apple Watches pictured here, are a growing distraction in class.
Business Wire via AP
Ed-Tech Policy Smartwatches: The Next Challenge for School Cellphone Policies
A growing number of schools are implementing stringent cellphone policies. But how many include smartwatches?
Elizabeth Heubeck, June 25, 2024
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4 min read
An 11-year-old boy plays with his father's phone outside school in Barcelona, Spain, on June 17, 2024. Parents across Europe are rallying to make it normal for young kids to live smartphone-free. From Spain to Ireland and the UK, groups are ballooning on chat groups like WhatsApp and agreeing to link arms and refuse to buy children younger than 12 smartphones.
An 11-year-old boy plays with his father's phone outside school in Barcelona, Spain, on June 17, 2024. Parents across Europe are rallying to make it normal for young kids to live smartphone-free. From Spain to Ireland and the UK, groups are ballooning on chat groups like WhatsApp and agreeing to link arms and refuse to buy children younger than 12 smartphones.
Emilio Morenatti/AP
Ed-Tech Policy Video Los Angeles Unified Is Banning Cellphones: A Board Member Explains Why and How
The LAUSD board member behind the district's new cell phone ban explains the motivation, and how it'll work.
Arianna Prothero & Kaylee Domzalski, June 21, 2024
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3:28
People staring into their phones. Conceptual Illustration.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
Classroom Technology Opinion Cellphones in Schools: Addiction, Distraction, or Teaching Tool?
A short history of the long debate over how to manage cellphone use in the classroom.
Mary Hendrie, June 21, 2024
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5 min read
Anthony Bruno, a student at Washington Junior High School, uses the unlocking mechanism as he leaves classes for the day to open the bag that his cell phone was sealed in during the school day on Oct. 27, 2022, in Washington, Pa. Citing mental health, behavior and engagement as the impetus, many educators are updating cellphone policies, with a number turning to magnetically sealing pouches.
Anthony Bruno, a student at Washington Junior High School, uses the unlocking mechanism as he leaves classes for the day to open the bag that his cell phone was sealed in during the school day on Oct. 27, 2022, in Washington, Pa. In California, the Los Angeles Unified School District has banned students from using cellphones during the school day.
Keith Srakocic/AP
Student Well-Being School Cellphone Bans Gain Steam as Los Angeles Unified Signs On
The Los Angeles Unified School District board of education has voted to ban students from using smartphones in its schools.
Arianna Prothero, June 19, 2024
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4 min read
A student takes notes on their cell phone during class at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024.
Schools across the country are struggling with whether to allow students to use cellphones in class.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Ed-Tech Policy What Happened When This District Did an About-Face on Cellphones
Cellphones and other technologies have altered parents’ expectations about how on-demand kids and teachers should be.
Arianna Prothero, June 12, 2024
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3 min read
Mitchell Rutherford, who taught biology at Sahuaro High School in Tucson, Ariz., left the profession due, in part, to students' cell phone usage. Here, pictured at Finger Rock Trailhead in Tucson on June 8, 2024.
Mitchell Rutherford, who taught biology at Sahuaro High School in Tucson, Ariz., left the profession due, in part, to students' cell phone usage. Here, pictured at Finger Rock Trailhead in Tucson on June 8, 2024.
Cassidy Araiza for Education Week
Teaching Profession In Their Own Words Cellphones Turned My Teaching Career From 'Awesome' to Exhausting
A former high school teacher shares how his students' increasing reliance on cellphones drove him out of the classroom.
Elizabeth Heubeck, June 10, 2024
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5 min read
Hands holding smartphone. Thumbs hovering over the lit screen. Red ban symbol over image.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
Student Well-Being To Ban or Not to Ban? Educators, Parents, and Students Weigh In on Cellphones
School community members share opinions on cellphones in schools, describing how the problem should be handled—if at all.
Isaiah Hayes & Arianna Prothero, June 5, 2024
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5 min read
A cell phone sits on a student's desk during a 9th grade honors English class at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024.
A cellphone sits on a student's desk during a 9th grade honors English class at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Ed-Tech Policy States Are Cracking Down on Cellphones in Schools. What That Looks Like
State officials are increasingly taking action to curb student cellphone use.
Arianna Prothero, May 23, 2024
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5 min read
A drowning hand reaching out of a cellphone for help
iStock/Getty
Ed-Tech Policy When Schools Want to Ban Cellphones—But Parents Stand in the Way
Educating parents on the real threats cellphones pose to their children can help allay their concerns about safety.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 21, 2024
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5 min read
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Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Ed-Tech Policy Video Cellphone Policies in Schools, Explained
Educators have multiple factors to consider when deciding how to handle cellphones in schools. Education Week breaks them down.
Lauraine Langreo & Kaylee Domzalski, May 21, 2024
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2:04
An illustration of a wallpaper of mobile phones, some off, some turned over with stickers on the back covers and some missing with just an outline where they once were.
iStock/Getty
Ed-Tech Policy One School Leader Banned Cellphones, the Other Embraced Them. What Worked?
Two principals describe their dramatically different policies on cellphones and how they are working.
Arianna Prothero, May 14, 2024
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7 min read
A student holds a cell phone during class at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024.
A student holds a cellphone during class at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Student Well-Being Cellphone Headaches in Middle Schools: Why Policies Aren't Enough
Middle schoolers' developmental stage makes them uniquely vulnerable to the negative aspects of cellphones. Policies alone won't help.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 14, 2024
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6 min read
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