Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 09:36     Subject: New cell phone policy for 2026-2027
Anonymous wrote:Is it or is it not state law? A quick search and AI overview gave me this:
Virginia public schools enforce a statewide "bell-to-bell" policy requiring all student cell phones to be turned off and stored away from the first morning bell until dismissal. This covers all instructional time, lunch breaks, and transitions between


Yes, it's state law. It's been state law all year. FCPS chose not to follow it this year. Next year they will.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 07:51     Subject: New cell phone policy for 2026-2027
Is it or is it not state law? A quick search and AI overview gave me this:
Virginia public schools enforce a statewide "bell-to-bell" policy requiring all student cell phones to be turned off and stored away from the first morning bell until dismissal. This covers all instructional time, lunch breaks, and transitions between
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 07:24     Subject: New cell phone policy for 2026-2027
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the big deal. I haven't heard any complaints about the current policy, this is just an extra 30 minutes in the middle of the day. But we have 18 pages of arguments, what's wrong with y'all?


You should try eating lunch without your phone and see how long you last!


I mean, I have a job, so I eat lunch in the lounge with my co-workers much like my kids eat lunch in the cafeteria with their friends. Occasionally we go out to eat. Rarely I will eat at my desk because I have to finish some work.


Now imagine you don’t have friends in your lunch period. You have to sit there looking up not talking to anyone while everyone else around you seems to have a group. You also now aren’t allowed to use your phone. You could at least study a bit online or look on schoology or watch a review video. But nope. You aren’t allowed to touch your phone and it’s your own free time. It’s painful and humiliating to sit alone. And then the the fear of having someone discover you don’t have a group or friends to sit with.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 07:14     Subject: New cell phone policy for 2026-2027
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the big deal. I haven't heard any complaints about the current policy, this is just an extra 30 minutes in the middle of the day. But we have 18 pages of arguments, what's wrong with y'all?


You should try eating lunch without your phone and see how long you last!


I mean, I have a job, so I eat lunch in the lounge with my co-workers much like my kids eat lunch in the cafeteria with their friends. Occasionally we go out to eat. Rarely I will eat at my desk because I have to finish some work.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 06:33     Subject: New cell phone policy for 2026-2027
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the big deal. I haven't heard any complaints about the current policy, this is just an extra 30 minutes in the middle of the day. But we have 18 pages of arguments, what's wrong with y'all?


You should try eating lunch without your phone and see how long you last!


DP. I think I've only accessed my phone once or twice during lunch, over the past five years combined.

I have relationships with people, not phones, so I talk to colleagues during lunch, take walks with friends, or read a book while I eat.


Debate going off topic. What working parents are able to do at their lunchtimes is irrelevant to school conversation. Yes, some parents have jobs where above scenario is an option. Others have jobs requiring them to be reached all day, including lunch so they yes, they use their phones at lunch. Neither is relevant.


+1
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 06:15     Subject: New cell phone policy for 2026-2027
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I told my kid about the new rule for next year and he laughed and was like “how are they going to enforce that?”


Yondr pouches?


DP but I’m the HS teacher from pages back and this is why they laughed. I explained why schools will buy these, spend money and think they did something. Kids will put anything in them so they can comply and keep their real phones. Phone cases, decks of cards, fake phones, they are creative. Go ahead and do an Amazon search for dummy phone and see how cheap they are and how realistic they look. In 10 seconds, the cheapest realistic one I found today was $6.50.

Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 06:06     Subject: New cell phone policy for 2026-2027
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the big deal. I haven't heard any complaints about the current policy, this is just an extra 30 minutes in the middle of the day. But we have 18 pages of arguments, what's wrong with y'all?


You should try eating lunch without your phone and see how long you last!


DP. I think I've only accessed my phone once or twice during lunch, over the past five years combined.

I have relationships with people, not phones, so I talk to colleagues during lunch, take walks with friends, or read a book while I eat.


Debate going off topic. What working parents are able to do at their lunchtimes is irrelevant to school conversation. Yes, some parents have jobs where above scenario is an option. Others have jobs requiring them to be reached all day, including lunch so they yes, they use their phones at lunch. Neither is relevant.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 05:27     Subject: New cell phone policy for 2026-2027
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the big deal. I haven't heard any complaints about the current policy, this is just an extra 30 minutes in the middle of the day. But we have 18 pages of arguments, what's wrong with y'all?


You should try eating lunch without your phone and see how long you last!


DP. I think I've only accessed my phone once or twice during lunch, over the past five years combined.

I have relationships with people, not phones, so I talk to colleagues during lunch, take walks with friends, or read a book while I eat.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2026 00:26     Subject: New cell phone policy for 2026-2027
Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the big deal. I haven't heard any complaints about the current policy, this is just an extra 30 minutes in the middle of the day. But we have 18 pages of arguments, what's wrong with y'all?


You should try eating lunch without your phone and see how long you last!
Anonymous
Post 05/18/2026 21:56     Subject: New cell phone policy for 2026-2027
Anonymous wrote:What can we do about the 5th/6th graders taking their phones to school? It starts super early and I feel like it shouldn’t be allowed.

My 6th graders just got a phone. She does not take it to school. There is no need to, if she needs to get a hold of me she will call me from the classroom phone or she sends a note through her school Google email. I log in during the day to her account to see if she leaves a message. I only get a message very few months.
Anonymous
Post 05/18/2026 21:25     Subject: New cell phone policy for 2026-2027
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Now high school kids can’t even use their phone at lunch. Are you kidding me?? How ridiculous.


Count your blessings. Kids are becoming completely anti-social and unable to function without their phone-pacifiers. It's not right. They should be present and interact without being able to open instagram and snap at the first moment of discomfort. It's SO bad for them, we are hobbling future generations by allowing them to live these virtual lives. At least school can be one place that no one is on their stupid phone.


Sorry, my high schooler doesn’t have snap or Instagram. He has zero social media. It’s unfortunate that good kids will be punished now because of this.


Then why do they need their phone? 2 of my 4 kids also don't do social media but they don't need to be playing online chess or watching Youtube videos when they are surrounded by peers. I'm absolutely astounded that parents think their kids need more phone time instead of building conversational skills. I will tell you one thing - they hit the workforce and we can't stand them - these phone obsessed kids that can't look people in the eye or sustain a conversation? It's awful.
Anonymous
Post 05/18/2026 21:01     Subject: New cell phone policy for 2026-2027
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Now high school kids can’t even use their phone at lunch. Are you kidding me?? How ridiculous.


Count your blessings. Kids are becoming completely anti-social and unable to function without their phone-pacifiers. It's not right. They should be present and interact without being able to open instagram and snap at the first moment of discomfort. It's SO bad for them, we are hobbling future generations by allowing them to live these virtual lives. At least school can be one place that no one is on their stupid phone.


Sorry, my high schooler doesn’t have snap or Instagram. He has zero social media. It’s unfortunate that good kids will be punished now because of this.
Anonymous
Post 05/18/2026 19:59     Subject: New cell phone policy for 2026-2027
Anonymous wrote:Now high school kids can’t even use their phone at lunch. Are you kidding me?? How ridiculous.


Count your blessings. Kids are becoming completely anti-social and unable to function without their phone-pacifiers. It's not right. They should be present and interact without being able to open instagram and snap at the first moment of discomfort. It's SO bad for them, we are hobbling future generations by allowing them to live these virtual lives. At least school can be one place that no one is on their stupid phone.
Anonymous
Post 05/18/2026 18:38     Subject: New cell phone policy for 2026-2027
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I told my kid about the new rule for next year and he laughed and was like “how are they going to enforce that?”


The thing the "we follow the rules!!!" crowd doesn't understand is that a stupid and unenforceable rule reduces the authority teachers have with kids. The kid here is laughing - the attitude is that the school is so clueless as to how things work they think they can do this. That attitude carries over to other things. It's not the teachers or even the schools probably - they understand perfectly well how to keep a grip on their position with students so they won't enforce it. The parents that think this is going to happen are the ones that look foolish. And then it convinces them they don't need to take other actions on phones.
Like literally everything else it does, you can't count on FCPS, you have to do it yourself.


What does that mean, you “have to do it yourself.”?
Even if I did not allow my kids to have phones, their education would be harmed by those around them using phones.


your kids should stop look over other people's shoulders while they are on their phones


You are missing the point entirely. I am not worried that my kids are going to look at a phone while they are at school. I do not like the negative effect phones have on the environment for education and learning positive social behaviors.

I have to wonder is some of these posters are 15 year olds who have never known anything else and think the current situation is normal.
Anonymous
Post 05/18/2026 18:37     Subject: New cell phone policy for 2026-2027
I really don't understand the big deal. I haven't heard any complaints about the current policy, this is just an extra 30 minutes in the middle of the day. But we have 18 pages of arguments, what's wrong with y'all?