Phone-free School

At Granger High School, our school Community Council has voted to implement a phone-free learning environment from the starting bell (7:30 AM) to the closing bell (2:10 PM). During these hours, cell phones should be secured in a student-issued Yondr pouch that will allow students to maintain possession of their own phones but will also remove the impulse to check them frequently and will minimize the distraction from learning.  

Why: The reasons for adopting a phone-free learning environment include the following:

• In his letter to school leaders and Community Councils dated January 4, 2024, Governor Spencer J. Cox specifically asked schools to “remove cell phones from classrooms.” Governor Cox elaborated that putting phones away means, “learning improves, distractions are fewer, student engagement and human connections are fostered.”
• A survey of our Granger High teachers and parents found a majority (69% in favor; 20% opposed; 11% neutral) agree with Governor Cox’s request and that a phone-free learning environment is needed in our school.
• Studies show that students who use their phones during class learn less and get lower grades.
• The literature that discusses phones in schools strongly recommends putting away phones during the entire school day (including lunch and passing time) to allow for the face-to-face social interactions that are among the greatest advantages of an in-person learning experience
• Phones pull students away from social interactions with one another through “phubbing” (a contraction of phone snubbing) when a person breaks away from a conversation to look at his or her screen.
• Multiple Granger students have harassed others on social media during school by taking pictures and posting them without the subject’s consent. These become difficult or impossible to remove.
• Cell phones and social media used during the instructional day almost always precipitate school fights and then are used to record and post such fights online making our school less safe.
• A proactive strategy to put phones away carves out a space that allows for social engagement and encourages teachers, students, and peers to interact in a non-adversarial, non-punitive way.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

• What is a Yondr pouch?

A Yondr pouch is a simple, sealable sleeve that allows students to store and maintain possession of their phones at all times. Upon entering their first class, students insert their phones in their Yondr pouches and snap them shut. At the end of the school day, students unlock their Yondr pouch with one of many magnetic plates available around the school and campus. 

• What if there is an emergency, and I need to get a message to my student?

With minor communication emergencies, parents will need to contact the main office (385-646-5320) to either call down their student or to relay a message. Parents can also send their students an email on their Chromebooks.

With a school-level emergency or crisis, we ask that parents and students limit or avoid communication and wait for instructions and communication from local incident commanders. Misinformation spread during a crisis can often be more dangerous than the crisis itself. Still, teachers will always have nearby access to the Yondr unlocking bases if student phones need to be accessed.

• Won’t students just switch to their Chromebooks to be off task?

Although Chromebooks also have the potential to disrupt learning, they do not offer the same access to social media or send the same steady stream of alerts that students’ cell phones do.

• How much does this cost?

The lifespan of a Yondr pouch allows us to implement this plan at an average rate of $5 per student per year. This cost is covered by the school.

• What if my student loses or damages her Yondr pouch?

As is the case with other school-provided items (Chromebooks, chargers, etc.), students will be responsible to take care of their own Yondr pouches. Lost or damaged pouches will incur a $20 school fee for replacement.

• What if my student forgets to bring his Yondr pouch?

Students who forget their Yondr pouch will store their cell phones in a manila envelope in the main office until the closing bell.

• How will you prevent students from breaking into their Yondr pouch?

The Yondr pouch is merely a tool to help students govern themselves. As with most such tools (internet filters, exercise schedules, etc.), they can be bypassed. The internet readily provides workaround strategies. However, those strategies are not recommended since any phone successfully removed from a Yondr pouch during the school day will be confiscated and will need to be picked up by a parent, and any damage to the pouch itself will be charged to the student’s account.

• How will teachers and coaches communicate with their students and players?

Teachers and coaches can still use team coordination apps such as Heja, Stack Team, and Team Snap, but such communication will need to be done far enough in advance that students can see the communication outside of school hours.

• Can my student listen to music while she works?

Music during class time should be played over the classroom system and shared by the whole class.

• What about lunchtime? Can they use their phones at lunch?

The research and literature strongly recommends this initiative be implemented from starting bell to closing bell, including lunchtime. This allows social interactions to continue that otherwise go dormant when a cell phone comes out and creates a path of least resistance in social settings. 

• My student has special needs (insulin monitoring, social anxiety, etc.) that will require him to occasionally access his phone. How can this be accommodated?

Yondr offers accommodated pouches that zip to open and close rather than using a magnetic seal. Students who need such accommodations will be issued this version of the pouch but are still expected to follow the same phone-free expectations. Administrators, social workers, and school counselors can also help students unlock their phones during the school day when there is an appropriate need.

• How will 3000+ students unlock their phones at the same time without creating a bottleneck?

Granger will have enough magnetic unlocking bases available around the school and campus after 2:10 to allow students to walk by, tap their pouch, and access their phones. Students checking out early can unlock their phones in the main or counseling offices.

Resources:

• Granger High School Phone-free School Policy (Google Document)
• Governor Cox’s letter to school leaders
• Digital Distractions: The Case for Phone-free Schools with Ian Rowe and Jonathan Haidt
• There’s a Cell Phone in Your Student’s Head – Edutopia
• Social Media Harms
• Testimonial from SMHS (Google Document)