Why Away for the Day instead of just limiting phones during class?
- Phones can still create distractions during passing periods and lunch, and those distractions can carry back into the classroom.
- A schoolwide approach creates one clear expectation for students, families, and educators throughout the day and research shows leads to fewer distractions.
- It also reduces the burden on individual teachers to enforce different rules classroom by classroom.
What happens in an emergency?
- Schools should have clear plans for communicating with families during emergencies that does not rely on individual students.
- For a schoolwide emergency, schools can use their emergency alert systems to communicate directly with families.
- Schools should also provide ways for students to contact a parent or caregiver when an individual need arises.
How will parents and caregivers reach their children during the school day?
- District policies should include clear ways for parents and caregivers to reach students during the school day – for example, through office or classroom phones.
- Implementation can look different from school to school, based on local staffing, facilities, and communication systems.
- A key part of implementation is making sure families know how to reach their child when they need to.
What about students who need a device for medical or disability-related reasons?
- The proposal includes exceptions for documented medical needs.
- It also allows for needs identified through an IEP or Section 504 plan when a personal device is necessary and a reasonable alternative is not available.
- The goal is to reduce unnecessary phone use while protecting access for students who need technology for health, disability, or educational reasons.
Does the policy apply to smartwatches and other personal devices?
- Yes. The current proposal covers personal electronic devices that can communicate or connect to a phone, internet, cellular network, or wireless network, including smartwatches and similar devices.
- School-issued educational devices, such as laptops and Chromebooks, are not included.
- Medical devices are also excluded.
Where would students keep their phones?
- Districts would have options for secure storage rather than being required to use one specific product.
- Options in the current proposal include locked pouches, administrative lock boxes, designated classroom storage, or another secure system that keeps devices inaccessible during the school day.
Would students be suspended for violating the phone policy?
- The goal is to keep students in class, not create new reasons to remove them from school.
- Implementation should use clear, consistent, and non-exclusionary responses to routine phone-policy violations.
- The proposal includes limits on suspension and expulsion solely for violations of the device policy.
Why is a statewide policy needed if some districts already have phone policies?
- Policies currently vary from district to district and even from classroom to classroom.
- A statewide policy would create a consistent minimum expectation while allowing districts to make practical implementation decisions locally.
- That balance gives students, families, and educators a clear standard without requiring every school to use the exact same approach.
What if a school has a policy but it is not consistently enforced?
- A written policy alone is not enough. Successful implementation also depends on consistent expectations, communication with families, staff preparation, and strong building-level leadership.
- A schoolwide standard can make expectations clearer and reduce the burden on individual teachers.
How much would implementation cost?
- Costs will vary depending on the approach each district chooses – and funding isn’t required to implement many available approaches.
- The proposal does not require one specific storage product. Districts can consider different secure-storage options based on their schools and available resources.
- Implementation and funding needs are part of the ongoing policy conversation.
Would schools have to use Yondr pouches?
- No. The current proposal does not require a particular brand or product.
- Locked pouches are one option, but districts could use other secure storage approaches that meet the requirements.
Would students be able to use their phones during lunch?
- Under the current proposal, the expectation would apply throughout the school day, including lunch and passing periods, which is aligned with the research about what works best.
What about students at schools with open-campus lunch?
- The proposal establishes an Away for the Day expectation during the school day on school grounds.
- Students who leave for lunch or open periods would regain access to their phone upon leaving campus.
Would this take away local control?
- The proposal would set a clear statewide minimum while leaving districts flexibility over many implementation decisions.
- Districts could determine practical details based on their buildings, staffing, resources, and community needs.
- The goal is a consistent statewide expectation paired with thoughtful local implementation.
