Northern Virginia Public Schools Enforce New Cell Phone Policy – NBC4 Washington

Beginning this fall, Stafford County Public Schools will implement a new policy prohibiting students from using cell phones from the beginning to the end of the school day.

This ban, also adopted by Fredericksburg and Winchester counties, is intended to minimize distractions and increase concentration. Students will still have access to their phones during sports or other extracurricular activities.

“This is a major paradigm shift for our students and families at the high school level,” said Stafford County Schools Superintendent James Stemple.

Under the new policy, any student caught using a cell phone during class time will place their device in a locked case for the remainder of the day. If their child is caught breaking the rules, parents will have to personally take a call from the school administration.

While the decision was met with mixed reactions from parents, with some expressing concerns about emergency communication, Stemple assured families that alternative means of contact would be available.

“We still have phones in the office. In case of an emergency, you can call the school. Just like when they went to school,” Stemple said.

Fairfax County, Virginia’s largest school district, is currently considering a similar ban on cellphones. According to experts such as Dr. Adrienne Collier, a pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente, limiting access to phones during school hours can have positive educational effects.

“I absolutely believe that having tweens and teens keep their phones in a safe place when they come to class will be educationally beneficial to them,” Collier said.

Critics say that while cell phones are valuable for their ability to communicate and learn, their presence in schools is also linked to issues such as cyberbullying and mental health problems.

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