Ahead of potential state law, PCHS bans cellphones in class
August 29, 2024 at 2:41 a.m.
Across the nation, state leaders have come to recognize cellphone use in classrooms as a serious issue. Several states, like Florida, Indiana and Louisiana, have recently passed laws banning the devices in educational spaces. Other governors, like California’s Gavin Newsom, have come out in support of drafting similar policy.
Recently, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has stated she wants to work with state lawmakers to do the same.
During a roundtable in July, she cited a Pew Research poll which found that 72% of teachers identify phone use in classrooms as a major issue.
It sparked debate over whether students should be allowed to have their mobile devices in learning spaces.
The Port Chester High School administration has settled on its own answer to the question—no. And some parents, as well as students, are unhappy with the outcome.
On Monday, Aug 19, Principal Luke Sotherden sent a letter to families announcing that a new building policy will be in practice for the 2024-25 school year.
“As students walk into each classroom, they are to place their cellphone in the designated receptacle. They are to leave it there for the duration of the period, including restroom breaks,” the letter reads. “Cellphones will be allowed during free periods and in designated areas, such as the library, courtyard and cafeteria. If a parent or guardian needs to contact a student during class, please contact the school office.”
According to Sotherden, the practice is the result of a long conversation on the impact of technology in the classroom.
“It’s actually an idea we’ve been kicking around for a couple of years now. As educators, we have these types of conversations all the time,” he said during a phone interview on Tuesday, Aug. 27. “I don’t know what’s going to happen at the state level, but society is starting to see that there is some impact on the well-being of our children that’s connected to the amount of screen time on the cellphone.”
The administrator said reading “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt inspired the creation of a committee last winter.
Haidt’s book argues that children who lead phone-based lives are more likely to experience mental health illness like anxiety or depression.
“It’s a topic that we’ve actually had our students discuss in one of our classes,” Sotherden said. “Some of our students have taken a sociology course in the last couple of years where they talk about the impact of screen time. We’ve learned, anecdotally, that kids feel a large amount of screen time can be very detrimental to their social, emotional and mental health.”
With that in mind, the committee recommended adjusting the previous policy that was in place.
“Our practice has always been that cell phones be turned off and put away before coming into the classroom,” the principal said. “But what we’ve found is that even just having it around is a distraction. So, we’re trying to remove that distraction and give the kids a 40-minute period where they can focus.”
Sotherden believes many parents are supportive of the change, though he’s aware there has been some discussion about it on social media.
“I know that there have been some comments about it on Facebook,” he said. “But I’ve also had conversations with parents, and I believe the majority of the community thinks of it as a good move.”
Maggie Nachlin, whose daughter is a rising senior, is largely in favor of the change, but cited some concerns.
“I think most parents understand why they’re doing it,” she said during an interview on Monday, Aug. 26. “But I would certainly like some more information about how it’s going to work in certain situations.”
From an educational standpoint, she’s in favor of giving students less distractions, but she wanted elaboration regarding situations where students may need to contact their parents.
“There have been times where we just wanted to let each other know we were okay,” she said. “Like the recent earthquake or during a building lockdown.”
On the Making Port Chester a Better Place Facebook page, a post regarding the new policy became a scene of debate among some residents.
Some showed full support, writing “excellent,” “Yes,” and “This is awesome.”
Others were less enthusiastic about the policy.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” one commenter wrote. “Removing the phone from the kids is leaving them very vulnerable in case of an emergency or health issues.”
The post drew 158 comments in several days, with many raising questions about specific scenarios including disease breakouts, terror attacks and school shootings.
Under the new practice, it’s unclear what will be done in the case of a building-wide emergency, but Sotherden said it will be updated as decisions are made.
“We’re definitely going to evaluate this over the course of the year,” he said. “We’ll make adjustments wherever we need to, but we’re confident that it will be a smooth transition.”
He emphasized that parents will still be able to contact their children, as they’ll get their phones back once they leave the room. “In the case of an emergency, parents should get in touch with the school.”
But Nachlin doesn’t believe that’s a viable solution.
“My daughter was given a phone so I could contact her directly,” she said. “If an emergency happens, who is going to field all of the calls? Or will the school be calling parents directly? I understand that the policy had to be implemented, I just think there should be more detail about this kind of thing.”
A commenter on the Facebook post had similar worries, writing: “They better have a few more crew members available to answer the landline phones when parents do call to get in contact with their children because mark my word, parents will end up lining up outside the doors.”
A group of students shared those concerns.
Shortly after the announcement from Sotherden was released, several high schoolers organized an online petition against it on Change.org.
One of them, who requested anonymity, said student safety was the primary reason they started it.
“We just think it’s a security concern,” the rising sophomore said. “In this day and age, there’s a chance that something bad could happen at school and having a cellphone could be a real lifeline.”
The 15-year-old believes the previous policy should be reinstated.
“I think it should stay the way it’s always been,” he said. “I don’t think phone use has been a huge problem in classes. Students know that if you have your phone out, you can get in trouble for it.”
As of this newspaper’s Wednesday night deadline, the petition had 580 signatures. The organizer said they won’t directly act against the policy in protest but will continue to push for change.
Sotherden said he expected the announcement to be a shock to students but anticipates that they’ll adjust.
“I don’t think it’s too much of an ask from our kids,” he said. “Some might have been a little surprised by the decision, but I think they’re going to realize it won’t be that big of a change.”
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