Devices away: Boston considers major cellphone ban for students

While cracking down on device distractions, Boston Public Schools is now considering a ban that goes way beyond just cell phones. So during a school committee meeting last night, Superintendent Mary Skipper proposed banning phones, Bluetooth devices, personal laptops, tablets, smart watches, and even smart glasses. School-issued laptops and devices needed for students with IEPs would still be allowed in schools. But in a three-page memo, the superintendent said research shows constant screen and social media exposure can have negative impacts on a young person's mental health and also their focus. The ban would apply all day, even during lunch and recess and also in between classes. The superintendent tells the school committee under this proposal, some of the enforcement may be left up to the individual school administrators and the principals. We are currently working to create implementation guidance that will provide schools with a menu of implementation choices so that they can select the method that's right for their school community. Now, a vote on the policy will not happen until at least January, and the superintendent says students and parents will have the chance to actually weigh in on the proposal before then. If it is approved, the ban would go into effect for the start of the next school year.