(WLUK) — The state of Wisconsin is cracking down on cell phones in schools after a new law signed by Governor Tony Evers last week that requires school districts to ban phone use during class.
Many school districts in Wisconsin, like the Appleton Area School District, already have some sort of cell phone policy in place, so the transition should be easy.
“The research is telling us that sometimes it’s hard for students to make those choices to be away from their screens. They’re less apt to be engaged in the classroom. It’s very, very hard for them to kind of let go,” AASD Assistant Superintendent of School Services Sheree Garvey said.
AASD does not allow cell phones in class. Beginning this fall, the district banned phones in the lunch room at the middle school level. It calls the policy a “bell-to-bell” approach. Students come to school and phones go in their lockers.
Garvey said the district has seen a lot of success with the policy.
“Staff are really embracing that and seeing some good early signs of positivity of students coming back in the classroom ready to learn,” Garvey said.
The new state law says all public schools are required to adopt a policy prohibiting cell phone use during instructional time. Under the new law, not much will change for Appleton schools, but the district will make any necessary revisions.
“It’s something that pretty much every school already has been doing. So in a sense, it’s the state catching up with the reality of school and putting some more state teeth behind school policies,” Ashwaubenon High School Principal Dirk Ribbens said.
Ribbens said the Ashwaubenon School District implemented a new phone policy this fall. Phones are placed in safe designated containers during class.
“[Students are] more engaged in class. They’re feeling less tempted. They’re feeling a little more connected to the class, to the teacher, to each other. So that’s a really good sign,” Ribbens said.
The new cell phone law is slated to take effect July 1.
Comments