The Coronado Unified School district held a community forum to discuss upcoming changes to district cell phone policies on Tuesday, February 3.
“Our goal is to have a decision made for the start of the next school year,” said Superintendent Karl Mueller.
He said the district is currently gathering community input from parents, students, and teachers, while acknowledging that the decision might not have 100% buy-in from the community.
“At the end of the deliberation of the governing board, I believe these five trustees will make a decision and stand behind it, understanding that most decisions won’t have unanimous support of the community,” said Mueller.
Data on cell phone bans in schools
Mueller shared some research from John Hopkins illustrating the effect of cell phone bans, as they pertain to student achievement and social and emotional impact.
“Cell phone bans may not be a silver bullet for every challenge, but they can yield measurable benefits in specific areas,” said Mueller.
Mueller said the research shows that cell phone bans improve test scores, decrease distractibility and reduce absences. From a social perspective, cell phone bans help curtail bullying and encourage face-to-face interactions.
Cell phone bans can also, according to Mueller, serve to “level the playing field.” He noted there are students who have unlimited access to cell phones, while others don’t have them at all.
“We understand that navigating this does cause some peer-to-peer tension or feelings of being left out,” said Mueller.
When it comes to emotional impact, data shows cell phone bans support a decline in psychological stress and FOMO, or the fear of missing out.
When it comes to student safety, he shared that some community members expressed concerns about communication during an emergency.
“Some students said they want to be able to use their cell phones in an emergency to let their parents know they are safe, or to check in on a younger sibling,” he said.
But data pulled from safety experts like the National Association of School Resource Officers supports “bell-to-bell bans” on cell phones.
There are three primary reasons for this position. First of all, light and sound from cell phones can reveal hiding spots in case of an emergency. There’s also an increased risk of “network jamming,” which could hinder police communication. Finally, there’s the danger of “parent flocking,” at schools which can block emergency vehicle access. This is often the result of inaccurate student-led information.
According to the National School Safety and Security Services, cell phone use during emergencies also challenges the school’s ability to maintain an accurate “chain of command. And according to Safe Havens International, students who don’t have cell phones during drills are 40% more likely to follow teachers instructions in an emergency.
“We need to know that our students are paying attention to the directives given by our staff,” said Mueller. “And parents need to trust and understand that (information about an emergency) isn’t going to happen as quickly as your child texting you something, but it’s going to be timely and it’s going to be accurate information.”
Yondr cell phone pouches
Mueller shared the district has reached out to other school districts who’ve implemented cell phone bans in Santa Clara, Los Gatos, and also locally in San Diego at the Francis Parker School. He said they all use a company called Yondr. According to the company website, Yondr pouches are currently used in 48 countries and help millions of students stay focused and phone-free in classrooms.
A representative from the company shared that the company provides secure, lockable bags that students keep with them. The phone is slipped into the pouch and locked quickly. The phones remain locked until the students leave campus at various unlocking stations. Phones can be unlocked in less than one second.
“The unlocking stations are essentially strong magnets,” said the representative. “They are usually mounted on a table wall. So as students leave the building, they can self-administer this unlocking process.”
The company website features a video on how the Yondr pouches work in schools:
He said that after the system is implemented on school campus, everyone notices substantial changes.
“The biggest change we’ve seen in the schools comes after the first 20 days,” he said. “When we revisit a school, and walk back in, the energy is different. When we talk to the students, there is more eye contact.”
Mueller shared that at Francis Parker, the students are required to keep the phone in their pouches while they are on campus. But when seniors leave for off-campus lunch they are allowed to unlock their devices.
Peggy Duncan, a Coronado resident who serves on the Board of Trustees for Francis Parker, said they implemented the Yondr system a year and a half ago. She said some of the students actually seemed relieved once the program got started.
“I think everybody’s kind of at a point where we feel like we need to get a break from this, but we don’t know how to do it,” she said. “And we need somebody to help us get there.”
She said taking away the pressure to always be on the phone has resulted in a noticeable improvement in mental health and campus culture.
“It’s been remarkable across the board. Parents, staff, and students are actually really happy with the changes we’ve seen,” said Duncan. Later she said, “You see everybody looking up instead of looking down. It’s dramatic.”
Current parent concerns about phones on campus
Many parents of children in the district attended the meeting, sharing their concerns about cell phone use on campus today. They expressed a need for change.
One parent urged the district to curtail phone use outside of the classroom during lunch. Her seventh grader reports sitting at a lunch table where other students sit on their phones playing games, sitting close by but not interacting.
“He doesn’t have a phone, so he’s begging, and he just talks about how hard it is to make friends because everyone’s on their devices,” said the parent.
Another CMS mom said that at lunch and recess, kids just stare at their phones.
“They’re not interacting and they’re not looking each other in the eye,” she said. “And we don’t know what they’re looking at on their phones. We don’t know what pictures are being shared.”
Logistics and potential challenges
Mueller said that a potential cell phone ban poses logistical challenges, especially for CHS students with off-rolls and those who leave campus for lunch. Parents will also need to change how they communicate with their kids if they need to touch base throughout the day.
“Those are logistical things we would need to take a critical look at if we are going to move forward with a policy that involves securing devices,” said Mueller.
Other concerns came from students, such as CHS senior Sean Wilbur. He said it’s hard to stay connected with organizations like ASB and Coronado School of the Arts as they communicate primarily through social media. So if you’re not connected, you miss the announcement.
He also encouraged the district to continue teaching students how to engage with technology in responsible ways.
“In my college lecture, my phone is not going to be locked,” said Wilbur. “It’s not going to be locked in a job interview. So we have to prepare students to have those skills.”
Opportunities for community input
Mueller said the district is actively seeking input from community members as the board prepares to make a decision on cell phone use. He also encouraged students to reach out.
“We want to make sure our students feel like they have some agency or participation,” he said.
Mueller encouraged teachers, parents and students to engage at the next two scheduled school board meetings while the board has agendized discussions about cell phone practices.
“It will give community members a time to voice their opinions and provide their perspectives,” he said.
The next regularly scheduled board meetings will take place on Thursday, February 19 and Thursday, March 12. Both meetings will be held at 4 pm at district offices at 201 Sixth Street.
