Classroom cellphone ban boosting focus, critical thinking, Charlotte teachers say

Just two weeks into its statewide implementation, North Carolina’s ban of cellphones in classrooms has improved students’ connection, socialization and critical thinking, Charlotte educators say.

Gov. Josh Stein met with teachers and administrators at East Mecklenburg High School on Tuesday to hear feedback on the bill he signed into law last summer.

The bill prohibits student use of cell phones during instructional time and requires public and charter schools to implement policies to uphold it. The bill received near unanimous support from state legislators last summer and comes after growing concerns nationally about the impact of cell phone use on children’s mental health and learning, the News & Observer reported.

North Carolina is among 33 states and the District of Columbia that require school districts to ban or restrict the use of cell phones in schools, according to an analysis by Education Week.

In a panel discussion with teachers across multiple grade levels and subjects, some said their students were receptive and even thankful to see the new policy enforced.

Eric Wojtalewski, a physics teacher at East Mecklenburg High School, said it has helped in his class, where many of the concepts are complex.

“I think the natural tendency when someone gets stuck with the concept is now we have information available at all times, you can just go look up the answer and look up the solution,” Wojtalewski said. “... The struggle of critical thinking is the important part. It’s not the actual information that they have to learn, the facts, or in my class, maybe the equation. It’s how do you process something very complex?”

The bill and exceptions

The law, House Bill 595, was born out of recommendations from the Governor’s Advisory Council for Student Safety and Well-Being.

The advisory board is composed of 29 political and education leaders from across North Carolina. Its mission is to “advance North Carolina’s commitment to safe, welcoming, and inclusive schools by proposing and implementing solutions to promote school safety and improve student physical, social, and emotional well-being.”

According to a December report from the advisory board, several schools jumped to implement the policy well before they were required to this month.

There are a few exceptions to the cell phone ban, The News and Observer reported:

• If authorized by a teacher for educational purposes or for use in the event of an emergency.
• As required by the student’s individualized education program or section 504 plan. This exemption would apply to some special-education students. 
• As required to manage a student’s health care, in accordance with a documented medical condition. Some students use their phones to monitor their blood glucose levels.

The law also requires schools to establish the consequences for violations of the policy. This could include confiscation of devices and disciplinary measures, according to the News and Observer.

Policy wins, parent concerns

Prior to the policy’s enforcement, educators at East Mecklenburg High School said cellphones were the biggest behavioral issue they faced. But having no cellphones during instruction has brought a level of consistency to their classrooms. Prior to the policy’s implementation, some teachers enforced a no cellphone policy and others didn’t.

“It wasn’t consistent,” said math teacher Kaylen Forney. “It was hard within your own classroom in trying to set that bar. Students would always push back (and ask) ‘Why do I have to do it this way in your classroom when I don’t have to do it this way down the hall?’”

While the new law has shown indications of success at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, teachers are still trying to ease parents’ concerns. Safety is the main concern of parents who want to ensure that they can get in contact with their children in the event of an emergency, teachers said.

While students can’t use their phone during class, they have access to them at lunch and in the halls. Phones are also accessible, often at the front of classrooms, in the event of an emergency.

“We care about their children deeply and that the schools do everything they can to prepare for any bad incident to keep kids safe,” Stein said in response to a question about parents’ concerns. “We want to make sure that they can communicate as quickly as possible with their children.”

Other education hopes

During his panel with teachers, Stein said that North Carolina is last nationwide in school funding — a fact he called “unacceptable.” And North Carolina is one of the top states in the country when it comes to out-of-pocket expenses for teachers.

“Teachers are the number one factor of in school success for students,” Stein said. “It is time that we pay teachers to show the value that we put on you all.”

Teachers also emphasized the importance of increasing staff to help reduce class sizes and increase the availability of mental health services.