New cell phone policy for 2026-2027

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t a new law so is there a reason it was posted now? Did Reid put something out just now that said something about it that is new to FCPS?

Spanberger was looking for a quick win and expanded the Younkin policy.

The youngkin policy was always no phones all day. FCPS just skirted it this year by allowing them during lunch. Next year it will be fully implemented.

https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/57403/638621683945370000

That’s the state document from 2024. This is FCPS saying will implement 26-27: https://www.fcps.edu/news/fairfax-county-school-board-adopts-new-cell-phone-policy-and-updates-student-rights-and

We are saying the same thing. It has been state law for a year. Fcps S is finally going to comply fully.

[Anonymous]

You people complaining about this are nuts. Evidence is clear that restricting phone use in schools is a good thing. Your kid can get their phone out when the dismissal bells rings and see whatever you need to tell them about after school then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t a new law so is there a reason it was posted now? Did Reid put something out just now that said something about it that is new to FCPS?

Spanberger was looking for a quick win and expanded the Younkin policy.

This is not true. It's sad when MAGA has to start making things up to justify decisions they made and policies they put in place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now high school kids can’t even use their phone at lunch. Are you kidding me?? How ridiculous.

Did an insecure parent or phone dependent-student start this gripe thread? Hard to know the difference really.

No, a parent with common sense. Kids sometimes need to text their parents and vice versa for whatever reason. It’s not a crime.

What you're seeing is parents who are overprotective and overdependent on their own devices and who just don't know how to let go. These are the same people who track their children obsessively using Life360 or Find My iPhone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is so important during the day that they need their phones. Kids went without phones at school for decades. We all survived.

You must not have high school students. I would have said the same thing a few years ago, but my kids check their phones at the lunch break because their coaches text and message through apps during the day to tell them about practice, bus times for games, changes for weather, changes because of field scheduling issues, etc.
I personally have texted high school babysitters during the day to tell them of changes for the afternoon/evening. Communication has changed dramatically since the 1990s, and expectations of being able to get in touch have as well - for better or worse.

I agree that I don't want my teens on their phones all day and I think it's 100% appropriate to have the phones away during classes, but they should be able to check in during lunch. That's just how the world communicates now.

I guess coaches, bosses, etc. are going to have to get used to this and communicate differently as well.

Other clubs communicate during day through instagram and texting appa that are blocked/not available to access on laptops. A good change would be for HS to not push instagram as communication tool but ridiculous to say no phones when that’s how majority of clubs and activities are communicating in HS.

This. I was very surprised how much communication in HS is through insta.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel bad for the kids who sit alone and have no friends in their lunch period. They are the ones who now have to sit there looking around at other kids in groups.

As someone who was one of those kids in high school, I can tell you that a book is a great option for that period, or doodling, or going for a walk.

The kids who are left out of the social groups, and scrolling at lunch, are scrolling social media where they are also left out. It's even less healthy for them than it is for their peers.

100% this. I'd rather that kid just read a good fantasy novel than go down the white male loser promoting violence trail or the fake beauty influencer telling lies about why she looks the way she looks on TikTok during their lunch period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is so important during the day that they need their phones. Kids went without phones at school for decades. We all survived.

You must not have high school students. I would have said the same thing a few years ago, but my kids check their phones at the lunch break because their coaches text and message through apps during the day to tell them about practice, bus times for games, changes for weather, changes because of field scheduling issues, etc.
I personally have texted high school babysitters during the day to tell them of changes for the afternoon/evening. Communication has changed dramatically since the 1990s, and expectations of being able to get in touch have as well - for better or worse.

I agree that I don't want my teens on their phones all day and I think it's 100% appropriate to have the phones away during classes, but they should be able to check in during lunch. That's just how the world communicates now.

I guess coaches, bosses, etc. are going to have to get used to this and communicate differently as well.

Other clubs communicate during day through instagram and texting appa that are blocked/not available to access on laptops. A good change would be for HS to not push instagram as communication tool but ridiculous to say no phones when that’s how majority of clubs and activities are communicating in HS.

This. I was very surprised how much communication in HS is through insta.

Guess what? They will adapt to the new way of doing things. They'll send emails or use schoology.

[Anonymous]

I think it is fine. Will force my kid to talk to people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now high school kids can’t even use their phone at lunch. Are you kidding me?? How ridiculous.

Did an insecure parent or phone dependent-student start this gripe thread? Hard to know the difference really.

No, a parent with common sense. Kids sometimes need to text their parents and vice versa for whatever reason. It’s not a crime.

What you're seeing is parents who are overprotective and overdependent on their own devices and who just don't know how to let go. These are the same people who track their children obsessively using Life360 or Find My iPhone.

+1 My middle schooler just asks her teacher for permission to text me if the after school plans change unexpectedly. It's not a big deal. I assume her siblings in high school will need to do something similar.

[Anonymous]

I think they should be able to use their phones during lunch which it’s free time. It’s not instructional time. I assume teachers will be able to use their phones during lunch. So why can’t students? This so stupid.

[Anonymous]

Phones have not been allowed all year. The only new piece of this is that now lunch with phones is included

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is so important during the day that they need their phones. Kids went without phones at school for decades. We all survived.

You must not have high school students. I would have said the same thing a few years ago, but my kids check their phones at the lunch break because their coaches text and message through apps during the day to tell them about practice, bus times for games, changes for weather, changes because of field scheduling issues, etc.
I personally have texted high school babysitters during the day to tell them of changes for the afternoon/evening. Communication has changed dramatically since the 1990s, and expectations of being able to get in touch have as well - for better or worse.

I agree that I don't want my teens on their phones all day and I think it's 100% appropriate to have the phones away during classes, but they should be able to check in during lunch. That's just how the world communicates now.

I guess coaches, bosses, etc. are going to have to get used to this and communicate differently as well.

Other clubs communicate during day through instagram and texting appa that are blocked/not available to access on laptops. A good change would be for HS to not push instagram as communication tool but ridiculous to say no phones when that’s how majority of clubs and activities are communicating in HS.

This. I was very surprised how much communication in HS is through insta.

Guess what? They will adapt to the new way of doing things. They'll send emails or use schoology.

Exactly, I teach at a private school that implemented this policy, and the clubs all adjusted. Kids can figure it out.

We saw huge benefits in how kids socialized, how often they use lunch to seek extra help, etc . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eh - if I need my kid to know something I just send him an email through his school gmail. I have the password and it's how we communicated when he was at before he got a phone. I send him an email as him to himself with reminders etc.

How do you do that? I tried logging into the school account as a regular gmail and wasn't allowed to.

If you have your child's FCPS account information, you can log in as them ([e-mail] and then use their password) and send a message to them as them. I've done this before, too.

It’s a pain in the butt. Kids may not see it in time. Want to be able to send a quick text.

You need help.

Good kids shouldn’t be punished. They should be allowed to send texts to parents at lunch period.

Parents could learn how to email.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think they should be able to use their phones during lunch which it’s free time. It’s not instructional time. I assume teachers will be able to use their phones during lunch. So why can’t students? This so stupid.

Teachers are also allowed to vote. Because they are adults, and adults have different goals, responsibilities, and privileges than children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they should be able to use their phones during lunch which it’s free time. It’s not instructional time. I assume teachers will be able to use their phones during lunch. So why can’t students? This so stupid.

Teachers are also allowed to vote. Because they are adults, and adults have different goals, responsibilities, and privileges than children.

18 year old high schools students can vote and you don't have to be a US citizen to teach at FCPS (which means you can't vote).