VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Tuesday night, a proposed policy regarding cell phones was unanimously voted on during the Virginia Beach School Board meeting.
Under the policy, cell phones will not be permitted to be used during instructional hours; however, students will be permitted to have their phones with them at school.
In the policy, it states, “Student use of personal cell phones, personal communication devices, and accessories such as earbuds or personal wireless headphones are prohibited during instructional time and in instructional settings.”
It adds, “Students may not have a personal communication device “on” or in use during instructional time or in a location that allows the student to hear or see the activated device during instructional time. Any such item must be stored in a personal backpack or similar bag or purse, teacher-designated areas within the instructional setting, lockers, or in a personal vehicle.”
The last time Beach schools updated a student cell phone policy was in 2015.
Virginia Beach school baord member Victoria Manning said there's been positive feedback on the policy.
"Hopefully, it can bring some relief to our teachers on the problem of discipline," Manning told News 3. "With discipline problems in our schools, we’re hearing from our teachers that the cell phones really are a big part of that."
Some folks who spoke at Tuesday night's meeting, like Tracy Murray, were adamant that phones shouldn't be in classrooms.
"Distraction is the enemy of education," Murray said. "A teacher should not need to compete for a student’s attention. This dilutes the educational process."
Meanwhile, others like Staci Martin believe educators should teach students about using technology appropriately.
"I’m concerned about constant discipline distracting from content delivery penalizing students who are engaged, whether or not they have cell phones," Martin said. "Outright banning phones in the classroom does not teach them how to manage their technology as tools. Outright banning phones does not teach them how to manage their use of technology in formal settings."
Parents and staff brought up lots of questions to News 3. Some have said a partial ban is needed.
A Virginia Beach City Public Schools teacher, Christy McAnally, has been in the classroom for 30 years and 22 in Virginia Beach. She says cell phone usage in the classroom is out of control.
"Cell phone usage in the classroom is definitely out of control. Kids are on it, even though you ask them to put it away, they’re constantly checking their phones. It’s certainly a disruption to instruction. Teachers are having to stop their instruction to constantly ask ‘put the cell phones away’ or take the phones," McAnally said.
She said some kids use their phones to even watch Netflix. She also said that parents even call or text their kids in class.
"It's a major disruption. Kids don't need it in class. The school office is fully equipped to let a child call their parent," McAnally stated.
McAnally even stated that the pandemic has added to the higher cell phone usage in class.
"Since the pandemic, the kids have had a very hard time in separating from their cell phones because virtual teaching, they were probably on their devices checking Instagram, their social media, and they’ve tried to continue that going into the classroom," she told News 3.
The meeting was held Wednesday at 6 p.m. It can be viewed online.
