RICHMOND, Va. (WSET) — On July 9, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 33 to allow cell phone-free instruction in Virginia schools.

The order directed the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and the Secretary of Education, along with the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, the State Health Officer, the Department of Health and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, to help parents, teachers and students better understand the impact of cell phones and social media on children.

A central component of Youngkin’s executive order tasks the VDOE with defining what cellphone-free education means in the state. After listening to and reviewing thousands of comments and suggestions from Virginia citizens, the VDOE has developed a draft policy for school divisions on policies and procedures to implement cellphone-free education and remove cellphones and personal electronic communication devices from Virginia public school classrooms. This draft policy has been posted on the VDOE website and is available for review and comment until September 15.

“This draft policy is the result of Virginians coming together and saying ‘enough,'” said Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera. “Parents and teachers in Virginia have witnessed firsthand the damage that cell phones in schools have done to the academic, mental, physical health, and social development of our youth. Communities are committed to implementing common-sense approaches to restore vibrant and healthy learning environments for all of our children across the state. The Youngkin administration is ready to support public schools, families, and communities as we change the culture around cell phones.”

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“This draft policy clears the cloud of distraction over classrooms and creates an environment where Virginia’s students can meaningfully connect with their schoolwork, friends and teachers,” said Health and Human Resources Secretary Janet Kelly. “I expect these policies will have a positive impact far beyond the classroom.”

The draft policy defines cellphone-free instruction in Virginia schools as “bell to bell,” meaning that cellphones should be turned off and put away from the first ring at the beginning of the school day, which is when class begins, until the end of the school day when the school bell rings. “Bell to bell” also includes lunch and the time between classes.

To better understand Virginians’ expectations for a cellphone-free education, Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons hosted nine Commonwealth Conversations across the state. Over 600 parents, teachers, principals, school leaders, community members and students attended the conversations, and nearly 1,500 more commented on the conversations on the VDOE website.

Dr. Coons and other leaders in the state’s education and mental health sectors also participated in 11 additional stakeholder meetings with more than 500 other community and religious leaders, parent organizations, school boards, school superintendents, principals, and school nursing associations to better understand their concerns about cell phones and personal electronic communication devices.

“The extensive feedback we received from Virginians was clear and direct,” said Lisa Coons, Superintendent of Public Education, “requiring that cell phones and personal electronic communication devices be removed from our children’s public schools at all levels – elementary, middle and high school – during the school day. By refocusing our students’ attention on learning and away from their phones and social media, all of our children will have better opportunities to learn and succeed academically.”

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As required by Executive Order 33, the draft policy also includes age-appropriate restrictions on cell phones in Virginia public elementary and secondary schools.

• If a parent decides that an elementary student must bring a cell phone or personal electronic communications device to school, it must be put away, turned off, and away from the student during the school day. It may not be used in the school building or on school grounds before or after school.
• In middle schools, students should not have a readily accessible cell phone or personal electronic communications device on their person during the school day. School divisions should establish local policies governing the use of cell phones and personal electronic communications devices inside the school building or on school grounds outside of the school day, including before and after school.
• In secondary schools, students should not have a mobile phone or personal electronic communication device readily accessible during school hours. Outside of class time, mobile phones and personal electronic communication devices may be used on school premises before or after school.

When considering cellphone-free instruction, parents expressed concerns about students with documented medical conditions using their cellphones to monitor their medical needs. The draft policy, which incorporates input from school nurses, pediatricians and health officials, recognizes that students with medical needs may have a medical exemption from the in-school instruction policy contained in their Individual Education Plan, 504 Plan and/or individual health plans.

According to VDOE, parents were eager to know how their child was doing in the event of an emergency. The draft policy recognizes the importance of emergency communication with parents and requires that all school divisions include plans for direct communication with parents as well as reunification plans with children and parents in their already required crisis and emergency plans. The draft policy also calls on school divisions to discuss emergency communication and reunification plans so parents and students know how to proactively handle such situations when they occur.

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Parents also asked for the ability to communicate with their children during the school day in the event of a family emergency. While many public schools already have such procedures in place, the draft policy calls on school divisions to develop and share family-based school emergency plans with parents and students and post them on their website.

Virginians can expect the following next steps:

• After considering feedback from Virginians on the draft guidelines, the VDOE will issue final guidelines on September 16, 2024.
• School divisions will adopt policies and procedures by January 1, 2025. School divisions are encouraged to review their current policies and adopt age-appropriate policies and procedures before that date that are consistent with the final guidelines or are more comprehensive policies than the final guidelines.