VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) representatives made a stop at Tallwood High School in Virginia Beach Monday.
The purpose was to get feedback from the public on Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s statewide cellphone-free education executive order. This was the second of eight statewide stops VDOE representatives are making.
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Inside just about any classroom nowadays, you’ll probably see students using cellphones.
“Teachers need to have policies in place that are going to help us do our jobs better," Education Association of Norfolk President and teacher James Parker said.
He said any policy to prevent students from using cellphones in the classroom needs to involve educators in order to be successful.
“It needs to be a policy that can be enforced and a policy that the whole community understands," said Parker.
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As News 3 has reported, Gov. Youngkin's executive order gives VDOE until Aug. 15 to develop guidance for creating a policy.
"The massive addictive quality of cellphones and social media, particularly in our young people, is causing all kinds of mental health challenges," Youngkin said.
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Some parents, however, have expressed concerns about students not having access to cellphones during class.
“It’s a little nerve-racking that we can’t follow our kids all through the day," one parent told News 3.
“I just don’t like it, especially having a special needs student,” another parent said.
Some school districts, like Virginia Beach, already have a policy. But, as News 3 has reported, the district’s chief schools officer said it’s difficult to enforce.
In fact, he said there were were more than 2,000 violations in each of the last two school years.
“What we want them to think about is how do we remove cellphones, personal electronic devices, during instructional time. Then, part of our discussion is how do you define instructional time," VDOE spokesperson Todd Reid said.
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Enforcement will be up to each school. Schools can start adopting the guidance on January 1, 2025, or adopt a more comprehensive policy sooner.
“Depending on what kinds of things a district may be willing to do with this directive from the governor will determine what things can be put in place to help us alleviate some of the cellphone use that we’ve seen across the state," Parker said.
While the VDOE is required to come up with guidance by August 15, that will just be a draft. The final version will come out in September.
