Denver Public Schools will implement bell-to-bell cellphone ban

photo of people using their smartphones

Denver’s school board unanimously passed a policy that will require students’ personal electronic devices to be turned off and put away while at school. This includes cellphones, smart watches, laptops, tablets and even wireless earbuds.  “It was a thoughtful community recommendation, not a top-down directive,” said School Board Director Marlene De La Rosa. “Number two was focused on educational outcomes, not punishment, as we really want to see this as a positive. It is focused on sustained attention, reducing distraction, [and] limiting social media harms during the school day.”

CBS In a survey of more than 7,000 DPS parents, teachers, students, and other community members, more than 60% were in favor of a bell-to-bell ban. That includes about ¾ of all staff surveyed. However, only 2% of students agreed. “I want to be really clear that this isn’t punishment, you know, that the adults, the leadership, the district wants what’s best for the kids, wants what’s best for their success,” said DPS parent, Jamie Chesser. Chesser has been a part of the community engagement process. “This is, in my opinion, the way that we need to go for children’s success, mental health focus, and also for the teachers,” Chesser added.

Source: Denver Public Schools will implement bell-to-bell cellphone ban – CBS Colorado

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Denver Public Schools considering banning cellphones during school hours

group of people sitting beside a fence

Denver Public Schools is now considering a bell-to-bell policy, which would mean students wouldn’t be able to use their cellphones, not even during passing periods and lunch. It would also include other personal devices such as laptops, smartwatches, and wireless earbuds to prevent students from working around the phone ban. All Colorado school districts must establish their own cellphone policies according to law.

“We all just realized, once you know better, you need to do better,” said Sarah Almy Moore, a DPS parent and a member of the Communication Devices Advisory Committee tasked with creating the cellphone policy recommendation for the school board. “We heard from a lot of different people,” she said. The committee spoke with and heard from hundreds of students, teachers, parents, and even members of the school safety team when doing the research. “There’s 17 states that have implemented a bell-to-bell ban on devices,” Almy Moore said. “So this is not like a groundbreaking thing.

Source: Denver Public Schools considering banning cellphones during school hours – CBS Colorado

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