Anonymous
Post 10/08/2025 09:56     Subject: Why not phone free
Maret has terrible phone policies
Anonymous
Post 10/08/2025 09:48     Subject: Why not phone free
To the pp arguing that kids need access to phones during the day because they are juggling so much—do you really believe that they are using the phone during breaks and lunch for productivity reasons? While I agree that our teens are indeed juggling a lot, not being able to constantly check text for reminders from home is actually a good thing. They had to learn to plan ahead—eg communicate to an employer that they need to miss a shift or to a coach that they will be late because they have a doctors appointment. My DCs have learned to look at their schedules and figure out how to communicate in advance and remember the plan for the afternoon. Also, if there is a pick up plan change, I can text them—they just don’t see it until the final bell. DCs are at a school without pouches/lock up but if phones are seen out there are consequences so compliance is very high. It’s fantastic.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 18:57     Subject: Why not phone free
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our private has banned them with great success


My kids are at brother/sister schools. My son’s school banned phones bell to bell, and it’s been great. The HOS at the girl’s school argues that the “research” behind the impact of phones during the day having a negative impact on the girls is flawed.


Sounds like STA vs NCS

There are only a couple pairs of true brother/sister schools so there’s a good chance you’re correct.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 16:59     Subject: Why not phone free
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our private has banned them with great success


My kids are at brother/sister schools. My son’s school banned phones bell to bell, and it’s been great. The HOS at the girl’s school argues that the “research” behind the impact of phones during the day having a negative impact on the girls is flawed.


Sounds like STA vs NCS
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 14:23     Subject: Why not phone free
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:NP, I will only say this anonymously because it's such a controversial opinion and I don't enjoy starting conflict, but I actually don't love phone free bell to bell policies in high school, and prefer for high school age students to have access to their phones at lunch/breaks, with strict consequences if use is inappropriate or disruptive to class time. High school students can be juggling a lot, including commitments outside of school such as family, non-school social circles, jobs, and non-school related activities like significant volunteer experiences. I don't see the benefit to such students from being completely unreachable 7-9 hours a day at school, if they can use phones responsibly when they have a few minutes free during the day.

I graduated from high school in 2012 and am currently the guardian of 2 teens in high school (complex family situation, they're not mine biologically) and the biological parent of twins in preschool. When I was in high school we still had "flip phones" aka "dumb phones" and I remember needing to check my voicemail and text messages between classes & at lunch to keep up with everything. Similarly, my teenagers have a lot going on and their school's recent shift to completely phone free has been a terrible fit for my kids so far. Not a fan, as I personally see few benefits and several drawbacks.


You're totally right about the need to juggle/manage – but I think that's an argument against phones rather than for them. It's hard enough for adults not to check their phones every two minutes. Kids are even less able to regulate that impulse, and it's incredibly distracting. Even if they're not being openly disruptive, they're still glancing down, task-switching, going to the bathroom for 10 minutes, etc. And I don't blame them! Phones, and especially endless-scroll social media apps, are designed to be addictive.

I graduated HS in the early 2000s, so no one had individual phones yet. I was involved in a competitive/travel-heavy activity and went to school a decent commute from my house, and this was all totally manageable with advance planning. I did have a school email account, but I needed to go to the library computers to check it.


In my hometown, my old high school's rival implemented a bell-to-bell ban several years ago after trying a policy that restricted use to breaks and lunch. It actually saved a lot of instructional time, because the teachers didn't have to spend the first ten minutes of every class getting the kids to put their phones in the plastic buckets at the door to each classroom (one teacher commented on the article about the new policy that the kids lining up to pick up their phones at the end of class reminded him of methadone patients lining up at the clinic...).
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 13:57     Subject: Why not phone free
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our private school makes you put your phones away, but the biggest difference that I noticed is that most of the kids in our private school have Apple computers where is the kids at the public schools are given school computers, which are Dells. Having an Apple computer allows you to basically have your phone with you, even when your phone is away. It allows you to text, it can mimic your phone screen, etc..
That is where public schools have the edge honestly


Is this HS? I assume kids aren't allowed to bring in their own devices in MS.


It’s K-12. My kids didn’t get apples until middle school (my choice) but I guess it could work for elementary too.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 13:31     Subject: Why not phone free
Anonymous wrote:NP, I will only say this anonymously because it's such a controversial opinion and I don't enjoy starting conflict, but I actually don't love phone free bell to bell policies in high school, and prefer for high school age students to have access to their phones at lunch/breaks, with strict consequences if use is inappropriate or disruptive to class time. High school students can be juggling a lot, including commitments outside of school such as family, non-school social circles, jobs, and non-school related activities like significant volunteer experiences. I don't see the benefit to such students from being completely unreachable 7-9 hours a day at school, if they can use phones responsibly when they have a few minutes free during the day.

I graduated from high school in 2012 and am currently the guardian of 2 teens in high school (complex family situation, they're not mine biologically) and the biological parent of twins in preschool. When I was in high school we still had "flip phones" aka "dumb phones" and I remember needing to check my voicemail and text messages between classes & at lunch to keep up with everything. Similarly, my teenagers have a lot going on and their school's recent shift to completely phone free has been a terrible fit for my kids so far. Not a fan, as I personally see few benefits and several drawbacks.


You're totally right about the need to juggle/manage – but I think that's an argument against phones rather than for them. It's hard enough for adults not to check their phones every two minutes. Kids are even less able to regulate that impulse, and it's incredibly distracting. Even if they're not being openly disruptive, they're still glancing down, task-switching, going to the bathroom for 10 minutes, etc. And I don't blame them! Phones, and especially endless-scroll social media apps, are designed to be addictive.

I graduated HS in the early 2000s, so no one had individual phones yet. I was involved in a competitive/travel-heavy activity and went to school a decent commute from my house, and this was all totally manageable with advance planning. I did have a school email account, but I needed to go to the library computers to check it.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 13:11     Subject: Why not phone free
NP, I will only say this anonymously because it's such a controversial opinion and I don't enjoy starting conflict, but I actually don't love phone free bell to bell policies in high school, and prefer for high school age students to have access to their phones at lunch/breaks, with strict consequences if use is inappropriate or disruptive to class time. High school students can be juggling a lot, including commitments outside of school such as family, non-school social circles, jobs, and non-school related activities like significant volunteer experiences. I don't see the benefit to such students from being completely unreachable 7-9 hours a day at school, if they can use phones responsibly when they have a few minutes free during the day.

I graduated from high school in 2012 and am currently the guardian of 2 teens in high school (complex family situation, they're not mine biologically) and the biological parent of twins in preschool. When I was in high school we still had "flip phones" aka "dumb phones" and I remember needing to check my voicemail and text messages between classes & at lunch to keep up with everything. Similarly, my teenagers have a lot going on and their school's recent shift to completely phone free has been a terrible fit for my kids so far. Not a fan, as I personally see few benefits and several drawbacks.

Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 10:44     Subject: Why not phone free
At our Catholic HS they mentioned broader and stricter enforcement of phone policy at first parent mtg. There was a huge round of applause following the announcement.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 10:27     Subject: Re:Why not phone free
K-8 and HS my dc attend have been phone free for years. Well before publics even discussed it. My dc has friends in public and they are constantly on their phone sending messages, TikTok’s, etc. The privates have been much more strict in my experience.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 10:17     Subject: Why not phone free
Anonymous wrote:FWIW, we're at public, and I dislike that they're required (per state law) to lock their phones up all day. My kid isn't on their phone all day when they're not at school. They should have access during breaks and at lunch.


Serious question PP—why should they have access during breaks and lunch?

So grateful our private HS has a bell to bell ban. Kids throw the football if there’s time at lunch or just hang out and talk. They adjust to not having their phone all day. We adjust to not being able to have access to them all day. If there’s a true emergency we can call the school and they will find DC.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 10:07     Subject: Why not phone free
Anonymous wrote:FWIW, we're at public, and I dislike that they're required (per state law) to lock their phones up all day. My kid isn't on their phone all day when they're not at school. They should have access during breaks and at lunch.


I agree. My son's Roblox score has really taken a serious hit this year, and I'm disturbed by the amount of eye contact he's been making with his friends during lunch.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 09:51     Subject: Why not phone free
Anonymous wrote:FWIW, we're at public, and I dislike that they're required (per state law) to lock their phones up all day. My kid isn't on their phone all day when they're not at school. They should have access during breaks and at lunch.


I'm sincerely asking, but why? I work at phone-free school and my own kids go to one. If I really need to reach them during the day, I just call the front office. I'd much rather they spend breaks and lunch talking to friends or reading or almost anything other than being on a phone. (When I supervise lunch, I just bring a physical book. It's very pleasant!)
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 08:41     Subject: Why not phone free
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think the K-8th are handling this better than the K-12. They are completely banned bell to bell at our K-8th. I think HSs have a harder time because parents care more about logistics etc. it’s easier to say no to a 7th grader.


6-12s are also handling it well. The problem seems to be the K-12s and the culture of “privilege” as kids gets older.

Our k-12 is handling it fine. Full bell-to-bell ban.


+1. Campus "feels" like a school campus from the late 90s. Kids are walking around in pairs and groups hanging out between class and at lunch. The school has also worked to minimize laptop use in the upper school to some extent (there's still more they could do) to reduce the temptation for kids to be surfing the web.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 01:49     Subject: Why not phone free
FWIW, we're at public, and I dislike that they're required (per state law) to lock their phones up all day. My kid isn't on their phone all day when they're not at school. They should have access during breaks and at lunch.