Los Angeles Unified will soon see what school life will be like without cell phones, as educators aim to break this generation’s obsession with digital devices and get students away from screens and focused on learning in the classroom. For the first time, details of what will happen will be announced.
The cell phone ban in the nation’s second-largest school district is scheduled to go into effect in mid-February, about a month later than originally announced, and includes smartwatches and other devices that can be used to send messages, receive calls and scroll. Also applies to devices. internet. Cell phone use is prohibited during lunch and recess periods, and each campus determines how devices are stored and locked.
District leaders acknowledged implementing the ban would be a big change for middle and high schools, where most students carry cellphones.
“Parent and student buy-in is absolutely critical,” Andres Chait, director of school operations, told the school board Tuesday.
Addendum Alberto Carvalho said school leaders had been “methodical, careful and comprehensive” in considering options for what to do with cell phones. He said it was clear that students were becoming “addicted” and the problem “needs to end”.
LAUSD’s policy, approved by the school board in June, will be implemented more stringently and sooner than required by recently passed state law. California’s Cell Phone Ban Schools Act orders the state’s 1,000 school districts, charter schools, and county education departments to draft student cell phone policies by July 1, 2026, and bans them completely. It is up to the school to decide whether to implement this or impose some restrictions. “Supporting student learning and well-being.”
When does LA’s ban go into effect?
The district directed schools to implement the ban starting Feb. 18, the day after President’s Day weekend.
Chait said about 50 of the district’s 1,543 schools already ban cell phone use. Many of these campuses started their own policies before the district-wide rules took effect. More than 400 campuses in the district are elementary schools, where the majority of students do not have cell phones.
How many hours will the ban be in effect?
Students were able to use their phones on their way to and from school, including while riding the bus.
But once the school bell rings, phone use is prohibited until the end of class, including lunch, refueling and other breaks.
Los Angeles School Board President Nick Melvoin will speak on June 28, 2024 about his determination to ban cell phone use by students. On the left is Director and Executive Officer Michael McLean.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
How do schools restrict cell phones?
Chait said teachers, principals, staff and parents at the school have been meeting for weeks to provide input on the ban. High school students also participated.
Individual schools have several options for how to keep students away from cell phones.
The first and least expensive option requires you to keep your phone in your backpack during class. Multiple phones may be stored in locked storage units throughout the classroom or school. This is a special pouch that can be opened with just a magnet or closed with Velcro. Students carried their cell phones with them throughout the day in sealed pouches. A “classroom phone holder” that hangs on the wall and has a numbered pocket where you place your phone before class begins.
When it comes to magnetic pouches, the most famous manufacturer is Yondr. The company’s products are already used in a small number of unified schools and many concert venues in Los Angeles. For bags that seal with Velcro, Chait points to a brand called Faraday, which sells pouches that block cell phone and WiFi signals. He said each option had “pros and cons”.
“The minimum expectation is that the device is powered off and stored,” Chait says. Cell phones cannot be set to silent or vibrate, he said.
Schools must decide on a storage method by winter break in December.
Is it only phone calls that are prohibited?
No, the ban also applies to smart watches and other devices that can use WiFi or cellular signals to send text messages or access social media. Tuesday’s presentation also included earphones (usually connected to a smartphone) and “smart glasses” as banned items.
“Other mobile devices that do not have ‘smart’ capabilities must be turned off and stored during instructional days (such as devices that can only make phone calls or send and receive text messages),” the presentation document states. There is.
“The goal here is to limit distractions,” Chait says.
Angelica Zamora Reyes, a senior at Downtown Magnets High School, uses her smartphone to work from her home in Los Angeles. Zamora-Reyes supports banning cell phones.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
What about emergencies?
School board members questioned not only the discipline for the violation, but also the state of emergency. A new state law requires students to have access to a phone in the event of an emergency.
Board member Scott Schmerelson said the emergency is the top priority, citing an online survey conducted in his district.
“Parents are very focused on reaching out to students in the event of an emergency,” Schmerelson said.
Rocio Rivas also asked Chait: “What is an emergency?”
Chait said that it will basically be left to the discretion of each school.
In general, he said, students can only access their phones in an emergency “when staff deems it safe.”
Chait gave an example, saying that a school lockdown alone would not be a big enough emergency to allow students access to phones. This is because such measures take only a short time (sometimes 10 minutes) and are often taken as a safety measure in response to problems occurring outside of school. campus.
But if the lockdown goes on for more than an hour, “that will be a situation where we say to the public, ‘Yes, please, please allow your children access to mobile phones,'” Chait said. spoke.
Are there any exceptions to the ban?
yes. Students may be exempt from the phone policy for a variety of reasons, including needing a cell phone for health reasons, individualized education programs, disability accommodations, and language translation.
What happens if a student violates the prohibition?
LAUSD’s plan outlines that students will receive multiple warnings if they are found not following the rules. First, the student is given a verbal warning, then a “referral to a counselor” is made, and then a parent or guardian is approached.
Chait said discipline requires a “restorative, positive behavioral approach.”
But Rivas and Melvoin pushed back, suggesting tougher penalties for offenders, such as confiscation of cellphones, should also be an option.
“We’re not telling administrators they can’t remove cell phones from students,” Chait said. But he said that action could only be taken after “dialogue” and warnings to various parties, including the offending students.
How much does it cost?
The total cost will vary depending on the type of storage the school chooses. The district has allocated approximately $7 million to purchase telephone products. Schools submit their options to school districts, which place bulk orders.
Chait said the calculation is based in part on the assumption that most elementary schools, where cell phone use by students is rare, don’t need the pouches or other items on the list of options.
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