{"id":2320100,"date":"2024-08-06T15:47:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-06T19:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-school-district-launches-pilot-program-banning-cellphone-access-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-06T15:52:41","modified_gmt":"2024-08-06T19:52:41","slug":"virginia-school-district-launches-pilot-program-banning-cellphone-access-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-school-district-launches-pilot-program-banning-cellphone-access-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia school district launches pilot program banning cellphone access &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fvirginia-school-district-launches-pilot-program-banning-cellphone-access-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2320100&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fla-gov-desantis-announces-plan-to-work-with-publix-pharmacy-to-distribute-covid-19-vaccine\/\" title=\"Fla. Gov. DeSantis announces plan to work with Publix Pharmacy to distribute COVID-19 vaccine\">pilot program<\/a> is set to launch in seven Virginia\u2062 public middle \u2063schools, specifically within Fairfax County, aimed at banning cellphone\u200b access during school hours. Starting in the 2024-25 school year, students will be given Yondr pouches to securely store their cellphones in magnetic pouches throughout the school day, which they will unlock at the\u200c end of\u200b the day using designated stations. Teachers are instructed not to incorporate cellphones into classroom activities, and parents can reach \u200btheir children in emergencies through school offices. The\u200c initiative aims to foster a more focused learning\u2063 environment, as research \u2063indicates that \u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/have-you-seen-this-warning-hidden-inside-your-cellphone\/\" title=\"Have You Seen This Warning Hidden Inside Your Cellphone?\">cellphone usage<\/a>\u2062 can detract from students&#8217;\u200d attention,\u200d learning, and academic performance. This \u2063program is part of an effort to \u200creduce the \u200dtime \u200cspent enforcing cellphone rules, allowing educators to\u2063 concentrate more on teaching.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Virginia school district launches pilot program banning cellphone access<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1724372\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Seven <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/virginia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Virginia<\/a> public middle schools will participate in a pilot program to ban students&rsquo; access to cellphones during the school day.<\/p>\n<p>Starting in the 2024-25 school year, students at select <a href=\"https:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fairfax-county\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Fairfax County\">Fairfax County<\/a> schools will receive a personal cellphone storage pouch known as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.overyondr.com\/phone-locking-pouch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Yondr<\/a> pouch.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>At school each morning, each student will lock his or her cellphone inside a magnetic pouch and keep it in his or her backpack for the duration of the school day. At the end of the day, the students will use a Yondr unlocking station to open the pouches and retrieve their phones.<\/p>\n<p>Teachers will be instructed not to use cellphones for class activities, and parents can contact the front office if they need to reach their child in an emergency, Fairfax County Public Schools <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fcps.edu\/cell-phone-storage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said<\/a> on its website. Students who forget their pouches will have to store their phones in the front office during the school day.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The purpose of the pilot program is to create a more engaged learning environment for students, free of distraction from cellphones and social media,&rdquo; FCPS said. &ldquo;Studies show that students who use their cellphones during instructional time focus less, learn less, and achieve lower grades.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;FCPS has rules against students using cellphones in class, but having to constantly enforce these rules takes time, energy, and focus away from teaching,&rdquo; the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ohio-school-board-drops-mask-mandate-weeks-after-kicking-senate-candidate-josh-mandel-out-of-meeting\/\" title=\"Ohio School Board Drops Mask Mandate Weeks After Kicking Senate Candidate Josh Mandel Out of Meeting\">school district added<\/a>. &ldquo;By locking cell phones, our teachers can spend more time teaching and less time asking students to put their phones away.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The schools participating in the pilot program include Frost Middle School, Irving Middle School, Jackson Middle School, Poe Middle School, Robinson Secondary School, Thoreau Middle School, and Twain Middle School.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>It comes a month after Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3075083\/youngkin-calls-public-schools-restrict-cellphones\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>signed<\/a> an executive order to establish &ldquo;cellphone-free education&rdquo; in Virginia public K-12 schools, citing concern over a youth mental health crisis driven by social media and cellphone usage.<\/p>\n<p>School districts across the country have also experimented with Yondr pouches as a way of curbing cellphone use in classrooms. In the past eight years, school districts in 41 states have spent $2.5 million to buy Yondr pouches, NBC News <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/tech\/gadgets\/yondr-phone-pouch-lock-school-rcna128247\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>reported<\/a> at the end of last year.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1724372\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1724372\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Virginia school district initiates pilot program to restrict cellphone use<\/p>\n<p>Seven public middle schools in Virginia are set to implement a pilot program that prohibits students from using cellphones during school hours. Beginning in the 2024-25 academic year, students at designated Fairfax County schools will be provided with personal cellphone storage pouches called Yondr pouches. Each morning, students will secure their phones inside these magnetic pouches and keep them in their backpacks throughout the day. At the end of the school day, they can unlock their pouches at a Yondr unlocking station to retrieve their devices. Teachers will be directed not to incorporate cellphones into classroom activities, and parents can reach out to the front office for emergency communications with their children, as stated by Fairfax County Public Schools on its website. If students forget their pouches, they must leave their phones at the front office during school hours.<\/p>\n<p>The goal of this pilot program is to foster a more focused learning environment by minimizing distractions from cellphones and social media. According to FCPS, research indicates that cellphone usage during instructional time leads to decreased focus, lower learning outcomes, and diminished academic performance. The district noted that while there are existing rules against cellphone use in classrooms, enforcing these regulations consumes valuable teaching time and energy. By securing phones away for the day, teachers can dedicate more time to instruction rather than managing phone-related distractions.<\/p>\n<p>The participating schools include Frost Middle School, Irving Middle School, Jackson Middle School, Poe Middle School, Robinson Secondary School, Thoreau Middle School, and Twain Middle School. This initiative follows an executive order signed by Governor Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) aimed at promoting &#8220;cellphone-free education&#8221; across Virginia&#8217;s K-12 public schools due to concerns over mental health issues among youth linked to social media and cellphone usage. Additionally, various school districts nationwide have been trialing Yondr pouches as a means of reducing cellphone presence in classrooms; over the past eight years alone\u2014across 41 states\u2014school districts have invested $2.5 million in purchasing these storage solutions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3192,"featured_media":2320101,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/education-bible-oklahoma-walters-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[37362,37363,37361,32410,5468],"class_list":["post-2320100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-cellphone-ban","tag-education-news","tag-pilot-program","tag-school-district","tag-virginia"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/education-bible-oklahoma-walters-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2320100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3192"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2320100"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2320100\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2320101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2320100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2320100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2320100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}