The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is implementing a cell phone ban in schools starting next year. This is the second-largest school district in the country and is expected to have an impact on education policy in the U.S.
The cell phone ban will begin on February 18 next year. LAUSD passed the new policy in a vote in June. It will be implemented across all 1,543 LAUSD schools. More than 50 of them already have the policy in place.
According to the detailed plan released by LAUSD, students will be prohibited from using cell phones on school grounds from the time the opening bell rings until dismissal. They will also not be allowed to use them during lunch or recess. If students are traveling to school by school bus, they can use their cell phones on the bus.
The ban varies by school. LAUSD has provided four options, which schools can choose from. Schools have until the winter break to decide how to implement the policy.
LAUSD’s simplest and least costly option is for students to keep their phones in their backpacks, but there are other options, such as installing cell phone locks on campus or in each classroom, providing students with cell phone pouches, and installing cell phone pockets in each classroom.
Students must turn off their cell phones before storing them. They may not be stored on silent or vibrate.
In addition, students are not permitted to use any electronic devices other than cell phones. This includes smartwatches and any device that uses wireless internet, cellular data to send text messages or access social media. LAUSD has also designated Bluetooth earphones that can pair with cell phones and smart glasses as prohibited devices.
Students who violate the acceptable use policy will receive warnings from the school. According to the LAUSD plan, the first violation will result in a verbal warning. If the student continues to violate, the school will contact a counselor, parent, or guardian. In response to some criticism that the penalties are too light, LAUSD said it will address the issue flexibly, rather than through harsh methods.
However, this is not a blanket ban on cell phone use.
Students can use their phones in emergencies. LAUSD has left it up to each school to determine what constitutes an emergency, which means that each school may have a different definition, and teachers or staff will determine an emergency case-by-case.
Students who need to use their cell phones for health reasons are also exempt from the ban. Students who need access to cell phones for individualized education programs, interpretation, and disability assistance are also not affected.
The state of California is also poised to follow LAUSD’s lead and ban cell phones in schools (AB 3216). As the ban threatens to spread across the state, there are mixed reactions. Parents and teachers agree with the ban, while students oppose it, saying that cell phones help them in school.
BY KYEONGJUN KIM, HOONSIK WOO [woo.hoonsik@koreadaily.com]
