THE DIGITAL COMMONS
A classic illustrative example of policies and handbooks supporting school-parent partnership and not deepening division, is dress code. For many years, all of our schools, whether uniform based or not, have navigated, revisited, revised, and broadcast our evolving dress code. Dress code reflects the culture of a school, and parents choose that culture, and oftentimes rely on it, while only occasionally pushing back against it. Generally, at every iteration of a dress code policy, the goal is to simplify the policy in service of the larger goal. Doing this not only reflects the culture of the school, but also reduces the number of fights students have at home, with each other, and with their teachers.
If schools can continue to evolve their dress codes in partnership with families to reflect student needs, family values, school culture, and educator perspectives, then surely we can and must do the same with technology.
Phones: Clarity to Center Values
The case for clear, consistent phone policies is well-supported by both research and real-world outcomes. Studies show that even the mere presence of a phone can impair attention and cognitive performance, not to mention its impact on sleep, stress, and social dynamics. My own experience in two very different schools, both of which implemented phone collection policies, mirrored this data: calmer classrooms, deeper engagement, and fewer social conflicts. But even more critically, these policies helped open the
“ Even more critically, these policies helped open the door to meaningful conversations with students and families about learning, attention, and technology.”
door to meaningful conversations with students and families about learning, attention, and technology.
I believe schools should collect phones from students daily, and that policy has served me, my school, and my students well for the decade it has been in place in the schools I have worked in. Most families have appreciated the clarity of this policy and the way it creates a space focused on their child’ s learning and well-being. Regardless if that is the policy a school takes or not, when schools articulate why and how they manage student phone use, they are not just drawing a boundary, they are inviting families into a shared vision.
A clear phone policy is a chance to say: we’ re not trying to control your child, we’ re trying to work with you to raise a healthier, more focused, more connected young person, and we put the learning and wellbeing of that child first. We’ re not banning( or controlling or policing) phones solely to
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CSEE Connections Fall 2025 Page 7