Pittsburgh-area school districts work to separate students from cellphones

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Several initiatives are underway across the state and country to help students refocus



Pittsburgh Post-Gazette link: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2024/09/01/cell-phone-pouches-school-districts/stories/202408300074

Tamara Allen-Thomas would walk through the halls of Clairton High School two years ago watching as students stooped over their cellphones, barely interacting with their peers. The teens were often late to class, and incidents that started outside the Waddell Avenue school would sometimes filter in through text messages.

Knowing something needed to change, Ms. Allen-Thomas, the district superintendent, went through a process that eventually led to high schoolers for the first time last school year putting their phones in a secured envelope and bin at the start of the day and retrieving them after the last period. The process expanded a similar policy that was already in place for K-8 students.

“‘So tell me how has it been without a cellphone,’” Ms. Allen-Thomas asked students partway through last year. “They were like ‘Ah’ and then the kids said ‘Well, not that bad, actually. As a matter of fact I didn’t know such and such was even in my class. I talk to more people.’”

The Clairton City School District is among a growing group of Pittsburgh-area districts implementing policies to prevent students from using phones throughout the school day.

A sampling around the region shows Allderdice High School, Milliones 6-12 and Obama 6-12 in Pittsburgh Public Schools; Clairton, McKeesport, Penn Hills and Woodland Hills in Allegheny County; and Washington and Ringgold school districts in Washington County have phone-related policies or procedures.

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Teachers have a hard-enough time doing their job without having to compete with the kids' cellphones. I believe restricting cellphone use during class time hours will improve the students' engagement considerably.