New Haven school leaders say their goal is to eventually have a cellphone-free learning environment, and they’re taking the first step in January for kindergarten through 8th graders.
In August, the State Board of Education issued policy guidance on forms of personal technology in Connecticut schools, and New Haven unveiled its plan to keep kids more personally connected in the classroom.
“The K through 8 years are the most important because that’s when you learn the fundamentals, like ABC’s, multiplication, adding, division, all that,” said Barnard 8th-grader Nathaly Ynoa-Martinez. That’s why she says the school’s pilot program for locking up cellphones is a good idea.
“I feel like we interact more when it comes to certain things, because it’s not only when it comes to socializing, but work as well,” she said.
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Starting in January, elementary and middle schoolers in New Haven will be required to use Yonder pouches to lock their phones every morning and have them unlocked at the end of the school day.
“Imagine reducing screentime? The wonders that that does just to alleviate stress and anxiety that is associated with social media,” said Madeline Negrón, New Haven Public Schools Superintendent.
State policy guidance recommends removing cellphones from both elementary and middle schools to maximize academic, social and emotional learning.
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It also points out that middle schoolers are more vulnerable to the negative effects of personal technology.
“And we know much of the hours when they’re not with us in school, they are on screens. So, let's get back to really protecting childhood and when I say childhood, I mean pre-k through 12th grade,” Blatteau said.
Focus groups are planned to create the procedures for each school. They also plan to look carefully at how to create a plan for high schoolers, who have different needs for cellphones during the school day.
If parents need to reach a child, officials say they can call the front office, the way it was before cellphones. Teachers do have locks to unlock the phones in case of an emergency.
