How Fairfax Co.鈥檚 middle school cellphone pilot program is working

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Since September, students at Mark Twain Middle School in Rose Hill, Virginia, have entered the building with a gray Yondr pouch intended for their cellphone.

When they walk in, they use one of the magnets that鈥檚 mounted to the wall to unlock it. They slide their cellphone in, close it, and for the duration of the school day, the pouch with the device remains in their backpack.

Then, when it鈥檚 time to leave, they use the one of the mounted magnets to unlock it.

As part of a plan to crack down on students鈥� cellphone use, Fairfax County launched a pilot program with the Yondr pouches at seven middle schools. In the more than three months since it has been in place, students and teachers said it鈥檚 helping eliminate distractions.

鈥淚t lets me focus more on the subjects, instead of constantly looking at my pocket with any vibrations,鈥� said Isaac Espinoza, an eighth grader at Twain.

For the 1,000 students at the school in the Rose Hill neighborhood, Principal Matthew Mough said the daily process took some getting used to. Every student was given a pouch, even those whose parents confirm they don鈥檛 have a cellphone.

Students who have a medical condition that requires them to use their phone during the day have a medical pouch that isn鈥檛 locked shut using a magnet. That way, Mough said, the phone can be accessed discreetly, if the student needs it.

Some students have tried to sneak around the new restriction. A few have put fake phones or something similar to the weight of a phone into the pouch. That hasn鈥檛 happened often, Mough said, and when it does, 鈥渨e address it. We educate the young person on their decisions.鈥�

One eighth grader, who asked not to be identified by name, said classes are more engaging because phones aren鈥檛 distracting students.

鈥淭hey have more time to focus on things because they don’t have the constant distraction of social media and their phone presence, and they have just more brain capacity to actually lock in and pay attention in class,鈥� she said.

However, she described reaction to the updated policy as mixed. While some Twain students are comfortable not accessing their phone during the day, she said 鈥渁nother part of the student body feels that it鈥檚 not fair.鈥�

Students who don鈥檛 comply with the school鈥檚 restrictions face consequences, such as a note on the student record, turning their phone into the office or not being allowed to use the Yondr pouch for a certain period of time.

The benefits, according to Mough, extend beyond students being more focused during class. It鈥檚 resulted in fewer social media and bullying issues, and 鈥渢he video taping of conflict, which was a problem in schools because of cellphone access, that has been eliminated during the day.鈥�

Teacher Neal Kalso said the pouches make it easier for educators to 鈥渢ell the students to be able to put them away and not have any battle or push, because it鈥檚 a whole-school expectation.鈥�

鈥淭hey had a problem,鈥� Kalso said. 鈥淭heir problem is their cellphones, and we had to help them guide through that.鈥�

Critics of strict cellphone policies argue it makes it challenging for parents to get in touch with their kids. Espinoza, the student, said some of his peers 鈥渨ant to have it on them,” just in case their parents call.

But Mough said if a parent needs to reach their student, 鈥渨e will do everything we can to make that happen as promptly as possible.鈥�

The pilot program will continue through the end of the school year, Mough said, after which the school division will evaluate how to move forward.

As part of a separate pilot program, some high schools have students putting their phones in pouches on a classroom wall during instructional time. High schoolers, though, are allowed to use their phones between classes.

School districts across Virginia have been grappling with how to effectively implement new cellphone rules, in response to Gov. Glenn Youngkin鈥檚 calls for cellphone-free education. Virginia鈥檚 Department of Education introduced recommended guidelines that it鈥檚 expecting local school systems to comply with by Jan. 1.

As part of the review process, Mough said he鈥檚 eager to learn what impact the pilot program had on students鈥� mental health.

鈥淚t’s super important that we do what we can to protect our kids mental health, and recent research certainly has shown that access to social media and other factors that cellphones facilitate can damage kids’ mental health.鈥�

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