SEATTLE — Wednesday is the last day of school for more than 48,000 Seattle public school students - and the superintendent says his six-week-long ban on cell phones in classrooms is working. Now, he wants to see a statewide ban.
Washington is among the last 10 states in the country without a state law banning or limiting cell phones in public schools.
Seattle Public Schools (SPS) made its first-ever phone policy in May. Students put their phones in storage or in pouches, which only unlock at the end of the day.
“Some of our schools do use the pouches; they seem to do pretty well with that, but a lot of schools tell the students, ‘Put it in your bag, I don’t want to see it. If we see it, we’ll take it’,” said SPS Superintendent Ben Shuldiner.
Shuldiner has pointed out a study from the UW School of Medicine, which found that teens in the United States spend more than an hour every day on their phones during school hours. The study also showed that apps TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are the “focus vampires.”
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson is now pushing for a state law “Bell to bell” ban on cellphones in all elementary and middle schools. High schools could allow some students to use their phones during lunch breaks.
“We want to do it now to signify how important this is to me and my team, but also to build that coalition all across the state, and so we go into the next legislative session prepared to get this passed,” asserted Governor Ferguson.
“I would love the legislature to take action. You know- the last time they were asked to do something, they said we’ll study it, which is the most Seattle answer ever!" added Shuldiner.
Shuldiner believes that, unless you have a district ban or a state law, every school makes a separate policy, or no policy at all.
“Those schools just let kids use cell phones. And what ended up happening, of course, was a lot of lack of focus and a lot of students not doing it,” alleges Shuldiner.
Over the next few months, the governor and his team will go to schools throughout the state to refine the plan with teachers, parents, and students.