Teacher: phone pouches and stricter rules restored classroom focus

Gabe Medrano, a social studies teacher with 22 years in the district, told the governor and audience that before the school's stricter phone policy he had become overwhelmed by classroom disruptions. "I was literally ready to yank my hair out," Medrano said, describing the frustration before policy changes.

Medrano said the school moved to a phone pouch system in the second year, with students dropping phones off after the bell. "This is year 2 of doing the phone pouch. In my classes, I can feel the difference. I can see the difference," he said, adding that students spend less time sneaking peeks and more time interacting with each other and their teachers.

He urged that teacher experience be considered when designing wider policy because operational support and consistent expectations were important to maintain instructional time.