‘No cell from bell to bell’ Alleghany Highlands school district cracking down on cellphone use
ALLEGHANY HIGHLANDS, Va. (WFXR) — Nowadays, it seems like cellphones are like extensions of our bodies, they go everywhere we go. For most students, that includes school, but now, some districts are pushing back, including Alleghany Highlands Public Schools (AHPS).
Assistant Principal of Alleghany High School, Charity Hale, says when students can have the whole world at their fingertips, it’s been a challenge keeping students attentive in class.
“We’re looking for a way to keep students engaged, from when class starts to when class ends,” said Hale.
And that’s harder now than ever before.
Tech expert, Mary Hamilton, says kids and teens who spend tons of time on their phones often lack socialization skills, including eye contact and situational awareness, and tend to have shortened attention spans.
“It’s the dopamine right, it’s the oxytocin, it’s the serotonin, it’s all those chemical reactions of when you get liked, when you’re scrolling and seeing stuff,” said Hamilton.
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AHPS implemented a new cellphone policy at the start of this school year, just one of many districts across the nation taking similar steps.
While some schools are asking students to turn in their phones or keep them in a designated spot in the room, AHPS decided to let students keep their phones in their backpacks…
but they have to be set to ‘do not disturb.’
One of the key concerns with school bans on cellphones–what happens if there’s a worst-case scenario situation, like a shooting, fire, or other emergency?
AHPS says that’s why it opted against simply taking phones away.
“So if they had to make an emergency phone call, they could,” said Hale.
After just one semester with the policy in place, Hale believes it’s doing some good–
pointing to an interaction she had with a teacher a few weeks ago.
“She said I am the same me, I am the same teacher, I haven’t changed anything except the cellphone policy, and she said my scores are so much better,” said Hale.
She says they do plan to continue with this policy into coming school years, and believes this may be something people see more regularly in school districts nationwide.
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