Success is More Important Than Cell Phones

Success Is More Important Than Cell Phones

By Misty Durrett, Brian Hummingbird, and Jeremy Jackson

Cell phones are a widely debated topic in relation to use in schools. Where do students’ rights to utilize them for school or personal use overlap? In 2012, a group of 20 staff members from Warner Public Schools attended the Model Schools Conference in Orlando, Florida. Presenters championed the use of cell phone technology in the classroom to bridge the divide between those who had devices (laptops, tablets, Chromebooks) and those who did not. As a staff, we decided that same year to take another route that has propelled us to be a leader in academic achievement and growth for more than ten years.

A Policy Is Born

Warner Public Schools’ approach to cell phones is simple – we do not want to see them or hear them during the school day. We have professional educators who are some of the best in the state, and they should not have to compete with the distractions of cellular technology. Our teachers and staff frequently allude to the lack of competition with cell phones as one reason for remaining with the district. They are truly able to just teach. Warner Public Schools has a 1:1 initiative, so all of our students have a Chromebook they can use in each class. They are allowed to communicate with their parents via email if they need to.

Our students have adapted. During passing periods or lunch, we witness them having authentic conversations and interactions. Friendships are cultivated, and students engage with each other regularly. We do not witness gaming, heads down on phones, or constant texting or posting to social media. Our cell phone policy is administered consistently

from elementary school through high school. Students of all ages understand the importance of maintaining a distraction-free environment and the responsibility and consequences of violating our policy.

Violations Are Few

Students at Warner Public Schools are expected to turn off and keep their phones put away for the entirety of the time they are on campus. If a student is found in violation of the cell phone policy, their parent/ guardian has two options. We will return the cell phone to the family with their student, and the student will be home-based for three school days. Option 2 is to leave the cell phone in the school vault for one week. The average rate for discipline is less than 10 cell phone violations per year. When parents/guardians choose a discipline option, around 87% of the time, they choose to leave the phone at school. Many times during those conversations with parents/guardians, they express disdain for how much their child is engrossed in their phone. In the fall 2023 semester, a middle school student had a cell phone violation. Her guardian said it took her three days to adjust to not having it, but then her attitude and demeanor reverted to the sweet child they remembered. She went on to say that she almost wished we would keep the phone permanently.

Numbers Don’t

2012

73%

11

7

Lie

Benefits Are Many

The lack of cell phones has also allowed us to reduce bullying threats, violence threats, and digital anxieties that schools who allow cell phones deal with regularly. Our students have expressed that they do not feel like they have to constantly check their social media to see who is talking about them or posting about them. They get a break from the constant digital presence. Monitoring texts, Instagram, Snapchat, BeReal, and many more consumes them at times. Continual notifications is their world, and we allow them a break from that. Warner Middle School and High School have recorded fewer than 11 “fights” since the inception of our cell phone policy. We believe much of that can be attributed to students not having cell phones to plan, coordinate, and record those incidents. So much of the fighting culture in today’s schools is driven by the opportunity to get views, clicks, or attention. Without cell phones, those opportunities are virtually nonexistent.

We have witnessed the benefits of the policy to our staff and students. Student performance for regular education and special education is regularly near the top in the state. Staff retention is improved as professional educators enjoy working in an environment free from continual distraction. Many students are already struggling with ADD,

ADHD, or other hyperactivity disorders, and cell phones are just another stumbling block.

In the past year, at least seven schools have asked for input or modeled new cell phone policies in their district after what we do daily. Students who transfer into the district and their families quickly adopt and adapt to the policy. Schools around the nation are slowly beginning to transition to policies restricting the use of cell phones. We will gladly help, share information, or provide input to anyone considering making a change to their cell phone policy. It has been a foundational element of our success since the conference in Florida more than a decade ago.

We believe our cell phone policy is the most important aspect of our academic performance. The majority of our students – 73% – qualify for free and reduced lunch, so our demographics do not typically lead to the classroom success we consistently achieve. It is time we make changes to our education environments. In the early to mid-20th century, tobacco companies promoted cigarettes as having health benefits. In the early 21st century, cell phones were promoted as helpful in the classroom. Both of these are untrue. It is time we take action to help our students better prepare themselves for the future. ■

Number

Number of fights among WPS students since the no-cell-phone policy was adopted

Misty Durrett, Brian Hummingbird, and Jeremy Jackson are members of the administrative team at Warner Public Schools, where Hummingbird is the High School Principal, Jackson is the Middle School Principal, and Durrett is the Middle and High School Counselor.