Teachers say phone restrictions reduced confrontations and freed class time

A staff member speaking on behalf of teachers described early challenges when the policy was first implemented but said those were quickly outweighed by improved classroom dynamics: reduced confrontations, fewer visible devices during instruction and more time for teaching.

"So having the phones away during the classroom has helped not only build a stronger, safer, more inclusive environment, stronger connections with students, but also with us as teachers," the staff member said, noting teachers no longer needed to spend class time enforcing disparate phone rules.

The speaker framed the policy as allowing teachers to focus on instruction and social-skill development rather than repeated discipline conversations, and credited the policy with helping students prepare for college and the workplace.