The State Board of Education today adopted a position statement and policy guidance document on cell phone use in schools.
Created at the direction of Governor Lamont by the Connecticut State Department of Education, the document provides school districts with guidance when drafting and implementing policies to promote a focused learning environment that restricts access to smartphones, other similar personal technology devices, and social media during the school day.
“Teachers are increasingly competing with cell phones for attention from their students and are seeing more students experiencing mental health crises triggered by their interaction with social media,” said CEA President Kate Dias. “We welcome the Connecticut State Department of Education’s initial guidance and look forward to working with our local districts to create strong, clear, and enforceable policies that minimize the use of cell phones and meet the needs of educators, students, and parents.”
In a recent national survey, 72 percent of high school teachers said that cellphone distraction is a major problem in their classrooms.
“All too often, our young people find themselves too distracted by their smartphones and disconnected from the reality of what is happening around them, including while in their classrooms, and it’s having negative impacts on their learning and mental well-being,” said Governor Lamont. “It is crucial that we adopt stronger policies to address this issue head-on. The state’s guidance provides a clear framework, but it is up to each school district to shape their own policies that meet the needs of their students and communities.”
“If we can limit cell phone use during the day that’s a lot of noise we eliminate,” Dias said. “Social media creates anonymity around bullying that intensifies it. Reducing social media and cell phone use during the school day provides an opportunity to stop some of the bullying before it even gets started.”
