Newsom Targets Smartphones In Class As New School Year Gets Underway

CALIFORNIA — As a new school year gets underway this month for students across the Golden State, Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging districts to keep cell phones out of the classroom.

In a letter sent Tuesday to all California schools, Newsom asked academic leaders to implement new restrictions for cell phones on campus — and sooner than later. Earlier this summer, the governor said he would work with the legislature to find more ways to get smartphones out of school, building on a 2019 law that granted districts the ability to regulate students' phone use during school hours.

"Leveraging the tools of this law, I urge every school district to act now to restrict smartphone use on campus as we begin the new academic year," Newsom wrote Tuesday. "The evidence is clear: reducing phone use in class leads to improved concentration, better academic outcomes, and enhanced social interactions."

The governor pointed to two recent studies examining smartphone use and its potential impacts on learners. According to the Pew Research Center, 72 percent of high school teachers who participated in a recent survey said cell phone distractions presented a major problem in the classroom, along with 33 percent of middle school teachers. Researchers at Common Sense Media found 97 percent of students were on their phones for a median of 43 minutes during a given school day.

Newsom's letter lauded early efforts put into action by a growing number of California schools and districts, including smartphone rules implemented at Santa Barbara Unified and Fresno's Bullard High, along with upcoming restrictions authorized by Los Angeles Unified, the state's largest school district.

L.A. Unified board members voted in June to approve a ban on cell phones during the school day, set to take effect in January. The board cited similar studies linking excessive phone use with negative mental health impacts and "stifling in-person social connection."

"The negative impacts of cell phone use in adolescents, particularly the addictive qualities of social media, are increasingly clear," said LAUSD Board Member Kelly Gomez. "It's important that we take proactive steps in addressing these challenges when students are in our care, and updating our cell phone policy will help ensure we can focus on learning during the school day."

In the Bay Area, San Mateo High School became the largest public school in the country to go phone-free in 2019, mandating that students place their phones into "Yondr" pouches that stay locked until the bell rings, or can open in case of emergency. One local news station shared positive first impressions from some teachers and students, who described a more positive school environment.

However, the prospect of removing phones from the classroom equations has drawn its fair share of critics, and implementing the changes can be tricky and costly.

According to the East Bay Times, the superintendent of the Palo Alto School District recently questioned the usefulness of banning phones when students are given computers and wifi access. In the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District, leaders said they would prefer to teach students how to use technology responsibly.

Others have questioned whether a one-size-fits-all solution can work in a state that is home to more than 900 school districts

A spokesperson for the California School Boards Association told the Associated Press that policies for student devices "are very specific to certain schools and certain communities," and should be made at the local level. The California Association for Bilingual Education said blanket bans could present difficulties for students learning English who sometimes rely on phones in class to assist with translation.

Some rollouts have also encountered a few speedbumps. Two Bay Area high schools welcomed students back last week with new rules requiring phones and earbuds to be stored in secure pouches during the day.

One student told SFGate the policy was already "wreaking havoc" and that the district had yet to distribute enough pouches for all students. The school district reportedly paid more than $113,000 for the program, and students are on the hook for $50 if they lose or damage the "Yondr" pouches.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.