California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Sept. 23, 2024, to limit the use of smartphones in classrooms. The Phone-Free Act mandates that public schools, charter schools, and county offices of education limit students’ use of smartphones during school hours. This policy will begin during the 2026-2027 school year, and will be enforced starting July 1, 2026.
The purpose of this new policy is to improve focus on academics and social development. Cell phones are a big distraction for students, and by prohibiting them in the classroom, teachers hope to improve academic success.
“I’ve always told students that their ears go where their eyes are, so if their eyes are on their phones, they’re not paying attention,” AP Language and Composition teacher Gary Favero said. “They can’t complete an assignment, don’t pay attention, and are losing a lot of instruction.
Numerous studies have proven that phones pose a major distraction even when they’re face down on the table, in your back pocket, or in your backpack.
Teachers at Rancho Cucamonga High School started implementing the new policy this year by collecting students’ phones in hanging vinyl organizers, small racks, or even lockable units.
Teachers either keep the students’ phones in the front of the classroom so that they can drop them off as soon as they enter and pick them up when they leave, or they keep it in the back of the classroom so that they’re out of sight and out of mind.
Reducing cell phone distractions in classrooms can increase student engagement, build more efficient learning, and limit cheating. This new policy also deals with issues of cyberbullying and mental health due to excessive screen-time.
“[The phone policy] allows us to find other ways to cope, and if we’re bored, we need to engage in different ways, like with our classmates and our teachers,” assistant principal of discipline Mr. Andreas Solórzano said. “It would hopefully connect students with one another.”
According to Solórzano, teachers will be provided with resources and training to enforce the ban to make sure that the classrooms are consistently established as phone-free zones. Teachers are also going to implement clear consequences for violations.
