From calculators to smartphones, since the rise of technology, there have been debates over which devices belong in classrooms. Currently, cell phones exist in most schools, but in recent years, Maryland counties and independent schools have started to implement policies limiting cell phone usage. The extent to which such policies should go is subjective, but most lawmakers agree – every county should have one in place.
On April 29, the Maryland State Board of Education discussed recommendations from a report released by the Task Force on Cell Phone Use in Schools. The task force, made up of 17 state officials, school staff and administrators, parents and students, released recommendations they suggested to be turned into legislation. These include stricter restrictions for younger grades, exceptions for medical and mental health needs, a graduated discipline approach like Montgomery County Public Schools’ (MCPS) and voluntary “phone-free” incentive initiatives, all while leaving details up to individual school systems.
“Phones have been a very good distraction for students for the last few years, and while some students are very good at putting them away when being asked, some students have a harder time putting them away or will put them away and take them back out,” Alison Berger, a science teacher at Rockville High School, said.
MCPS currently allows phones on campus and in classes with teacher approval, but the details of the rules vary by school. According to Berger, Rockville’s policy is that phones are not supposed to be out during class unless the teacher authorizes them for learning purposes. She says that enforcement of this rule varies by teacher.
CESJDS has had a phone-free campus since the start of this school year. Every day, students are required to lock their devices in Yondr pouches, and may unlock them at the end of each day. This ensures no phones are accessible to students throughout the day.
Lea Pastrick, a freshman at Quince Orchard High School, said that her school allows phones during the day, but they may be taken in class by teachers who don’t allow them. Devices are allowed during transitional periods but not instructional time. However, according to Pastrick, teachers have varying levels of enforcement.
“I wish that we could have our phones always so that I can communicate with my friends and family,” Pastrick said.
Six bills on the topic of phone policies were introduced during the Maryland General Assembly session on Jan. 29. All of the bills proposed had slightly different details, and all but one died in committee. The furthest along, Senate Bill 0130, which is chaired by nine Senators, made it back to review in the original chamber but ultimately was not acted on before the session ended.
Pastrick’s view is one reflected by students who testified against such bills. According to Maryland Matters, MCPS students expressed concerns over safety during their testimonies, wanting to be able to contact others in emergencies.
Vardi said that one reason JDS chose Yondr pouches rather than locking up phones together or taking them is that students will still have their phones on their person. In the event of an emergency, Vardi says, students are able to cut through their pouches with scissors, which have been placed in every classroom. She wrote a blog piece for Prizmah recommending the Yondr system for all schools. According to Vardi, the Yondr system has made a positive impact on the campus.
MCPS has already announced policy changes for the 2025-2026 school year and will now ban phones during instruction time. Some schools will use storage measures to enforce it. Additionally, in August 2024, it announced it would be piloting an “All-Day Away Phone Policy” for schools that chose to opt in.
“We, in schools, should be the ones that say this is not good for educational use,” Vardi said. “Let’s not use the phone right now in that aspect, because we found it wasn’t productive for our kids.”
