Transform Your School: The Complete Guide to Going Phone-Free

A newly released resource from The Phone-Free Schools Movement and Fairplay

Intro from Zach Rausch and Jon Haidt:

Two remarkable surveys were released this past month documenting the widespread agreement and groundswell of support among educators for implementing phone-free school policies. On July 29th, a national survey conducted by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) surveyed over 500 school administrators and principals. The findings reveal that 42% 'firmly believe smartphones and social media are major contributors to deteriorating student mental health,' while only 1% believe that concerns are 'overblown … and the kids are alright.' (In other words, only one in a hundred school principals dismisses these concerns as a moral panic). 85 percent agreed that "positive impacts from smartphones and social media are rare," with a majority supporting a ban on phones in school buildings during the school day.

On August 12th, the National Education Association (NEA) released a national survey of 2,889 teachers from elementary, middle, and high schools. The results revealed that three out of four teachers believe social media use is a serious problem at their school, and a large majority find that cellphones are highly disruptive during class time. The survey also found that teachers in schools with looser phone policies (e.g., allowing student use between classes or leaving rules to teachers' discretion) reported significantly higher disruptions (73% and 79%, respectively) compared to schools with stricter, bell-to-bell policies (28% reporting disruptions).

Perhaps the most significant finding is that 62% of teachers oppose leaving cellphone policies to individual teachers. Instead, 90% of teachers support a school-wide policy prohibiting device use during instructional time, and 83% favor a policy banning devices throughout the entire school day. Putting this all together, teachers are concerned that smartphones and social media are harming student mental health and learning, and they feel that addressing this issue requires more than individual efforts—it demands a collective, school-wide approach.¹

So, as states across the country—New York, Oklahoma, Vermont, Virginia, South Carolina, California, and more—consider or prepare to make their schools phone-free, it’s essential to have the right plan in place to ensure a smooth transition. 

In today’s post, Mileva Repasky, co-founder of The Phone-Free Schools Movement (PFSM), introduces a vital new resource for schools everywhere, developed by PFSM and Fairplay. It is a step-by-step guide for schools aiming to go phone-free. (Both organizations are listed on our aligned organization page at AnxiousGeneration.com, and Jon serves on the advisory board of PFSM.) The guide addresses common pushbacks and concerns, and includes a sample survey to track a schools progress. 

Let’s give teachers a chance. Make your school phone-free.

– Zach and Jon

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As a professional in the field of psychology, I never imagined missing the signs of my own child’s mental health decline. But when a call from my son’s school counselor revealed he was suicidal, our family’s world turned upside down. His crisis, like so many others, was fueled by excessive social media and smartphone use. Around the same time, I came across a CNN article about a mother who had experienced a remarkably similar ordeal with her teenage daughter. To my suprise, she lived in the same town and was even within our school district. This mother, Sabine Polak, would soon become a close friend and co-founder of what would eventually become The Phone-Free Schools Movement.

Connected by our shared trauma, Sabine and I spent the following school year advocating for changes within our district. Our efforts uncovered a troubling reality: our district's cell phone policy was wildly ineffective, leading to severe disruptions in the school environment. Administrators were overwhelmed by disciplinary issues, teachers were struggling to maintain academic focus, and students, described by our superintendent as “walking zombies,” were suffering.

Despite our best efforts, progress within our district was impeded by a lack of research, parent pushback, and a fear of trailblazing. Frustrated, we sought broader support by joining Fairplay's Screen Time Action Network, where we connected with Kim Whitman, an experienced advocate for reducing screen time in schools. United by our belief that removing smartphones during the school day is essential to addressing the youth mental health crisis, the three of us founded The Phone-Free Schools Movement.

Image. From left to right: Mileva Repasky, Kim Whitman, Sabine Polak

In the months since the release of The Anxious Generation and advisories from the Surgeon General, schools across the country—from New York to California—are preparing to go phone-free. However, we’ve noticed that a significant barrier still remains: many school leaders hesitate to adopt these policies due to anticipated pushback from parents.

The Road to Effective Phone-Free Policies

Beginning in March of 2023, we embarked on a year-long journey to understand how some schools had successfully implemented phone bans without facing backlash. We spoke extensively with school administrators, parents, medical experts, and teachers to learn best practices. 

Drawing from the lessons we learned, we (in partnership with Fairplay) created a comprehensive guide for any school district—public or private, urban or rural—to reclaim their educational environment free from the distractions and harms of smartphones. Through our research, we discovered that the key to success—and minimizing parent pushback—lies in three crucial elements:

1. Transparent and Continuous Communication: The problems phones pose on the educational environment and the policy must be clearly communicated to all stakeholders prior to implementation, followed by regular updates with students, parents, and staff.

2. Clear and Enforced Bell-to-Bell Policy: A first bell to last bell phone-free policy where phones are locked away for the entire school day. A bell-to-bell policy, where phones are securely locked away, frees teachers from acting as the "phone police" and significantly reduces student pushback.

3. Effective Implementation and Consistent Enforcement: Simple yet effective strategies that can be executed efficiently. Strict consequences, such as phone removal, deter repeat offenders, while consistent enforcement by all staff in the building eliminates confusion and student pushback.

In the rest of this post, I’ll walk you through the toolkit (which we just made public last month!). You can sign up to receive your own copy here:

Overview: Introducing Our Administrator Toolkit

Our comprehensive how-to manual is broken into three sections: 

• Section 1: Supporting Data

• Section 2: Implementation Materials

• Section 3: Stakeholder Communications

Below is an outline of each:

Section 1: Supporting Data

This section is designed to underscore the importance of implementing phone-free policies in educational environments. We provide the key research findings that demonstrate why these policies are essential, giving school leaders the evidence they need to advocate for change. 

Additionally, we present a comprehensive overview of the benefits schools have experienced by implementing phone-free policies, illustrating the positive impact of reducing phone usage in schools:

Section 2: Implementation Materials

This section features a step-by-step rollout timeline, showing how to implement the policy in approximately three months. We recommend dedicating two months for planning, one month for community engagement and preparation, and the final two weeks for the official launch.

This section also includes:

1. An implementation guide: This guide  summarizes the bell-to-bell phone-free policy and guides schools through each step of the process. It includes what devices the policy must cover (cell phones, smartwatches, AirPods, etc.),  necessary exceptions (such as medical conditions), appropriate consequences and enforcement strategies, device storage throughout the day, and communication methods for the school community.

2. A one pager: This concise document outlines the phone-free policy and can be shared with all the stakeholders in the school and/or district.

Section 3: Stakeholder Communications

This section provides tools designed to ensure a smooth and effective implementation of our bell-to-bell phone-free policy. The materials equip you with resources to engage and inform parents, teachers, staff, and students throughout the process.

Included are:

1. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): These address common concerns and offer straightforward explanations to help ease the transition for all stakeholders. Below are a few examples of the questions included:

2. Common Pushbacks: Research based answers for staff to utilize when addressing common questions and concerns from parents before, during, and after the policy launch. These best practices help ensure transparency, consistency of responses and in turn build trust within the school community.

3. Sample Letters: We’ve included sample letters tailored for parents, teachers/staff, and students. These templates can be customized to fit your specific needs and effectively communicate the rationale and benefits of the phone-free policy.

4. Surveys: Included are sample surveys for distribution to students and teachers before and after the implementation of the phone-free policy. The initial survey is designed to gauge the current impact of phones on your school environment, providing insights to guide the implementation process. The follow-up survey, conducted at least a semester after the policy is launched, measures the policy's impact, helping you assess its effectiveness and identify areas for further improvement.

Addressing a top concern: What about school crises?

School security experts state that phones can actually pose risks in school crises. They can distract children from following safety protocols, alert assailants to hiding spots, and jam communications, hindering first responders. According to Ken Trump, a school security expert, beyond school shootings, he warns against allowing cellphones in schools. Phones can become a ‘safety blanket’ for parents, providing an illusion of safety without actually giving it. 

While smartphones make it easier for parents to communicate  with children about after-school plans or dinner, we must question whether this constant access is beneficial for their development. Interrupting the school day with messages can disrupt their focus and create an unhealthy dependence on their devices, compelling them to respond to every notification. Constant connectivity may impede their growth, depriving them of opportunities to build independence and solve problems on their own. 

Conclusion

Implementing a bell-to-bell phone-free policy will give students back seven hours each day to be fully engaged in their education and free from the pervasive pressures of smartphones and social media. This policy isn’t merely about reducing distractions; it’s about restoring connections and providing students with the essential time to develop and thrive in a supportive environment.

The responsibility to safeguard our students from the distractions and harms of smartphones lies with all of us. By working together, we can protect their well-being, support their growth, and prevent other families from experiencing the heartbreak of a life-altering phone call, like the one I received about my son. Let’s commit to providing our students with the environment they need to flourish.

To connect with us: Reach out to info@phonefreeschoolsmovement.org.

1. For more research on educator, student, parental, and voter views on phone-free schools, check out our open-source Google Doc: The Effects of Phone-Free Schools: A Collaborative Review.