Another Virginia public school division — Fredericksburg — has joined the growing movement to ban cell phones in schools. Last night the city School Board unanimously approved a policy forbidding students from operating PCDs (personal communications devices) including tablets and smart watches during the school day, reports the Fredericksburg Free Press.
“It’s time for all of us to tackle this issue of students who are either addicted to social media or flagrantly disregard the rules,” Deputy Superintendent Matt Eberhardt said in a press release. “Teachers want to teach and don’t want to police students and cellphones.”
Devices will be locked in Yondr storage pouches. Exceptions will be granted for heart and diabetes monitors or other health-related reasons.
Fredericksburg, a low-performing school district where fewer than half the students passed their English Standards of Learning exam in 2022-23, has many other problems to tackle, such as an exceptionally high absenteeism rate. But banning cell phones, which reduces distractions and helps restore teachers’ authority in the classroom, is a good start. — JAB