WAYLAND, MA – Wayland schools are preparing an update to their cell phone policy, with potential changes discussed at meetings on February 26 and March 17, facilitated by the Cell Phone Working Group, a collection of staff, parents and even students. It comes amid mounting evidence, nationally and internationally, linking excessive phone use in schools to distracted learning, increased bullying and a decline in mental health.
Last October, Wayland High School’s administrative council enacted a cell phone policy that requires students keep their phones in secure holders or powered off in their backpacks. Cell phone usage is only allowed while walking in the hallway between classes, during lunch and free periods.
Administrators from other school districts in the area were gathered by Wayland School Superintendent Dr. David Fleishman to discuss the effects of potentially more robust measures such as requiring students to deposit their devices in secure lockers at the start of the day. The February 26 and March 17 meetings featured a panel of high school and middle school principals respectively.
In deciding what course of action to take in Wayland schools, the committee put out a survey drawing on the input of over 800 parents, nearly 800 students and nearly 200 staff.
A significant majority of parents believe that a stricter phone policy is needed. At the middle and high school levels, over 80% of parents expressed support for maintaining a clear expectation for device use during the school day.
Teachers, especially at the high school level, acknowledged that the situation was complicated. While phones are often a distraction in class, survey responses indicate an understanding that smart phones, smart watches and other such technologies are not going away and blanket bans will become increasingly impractical.
Wayland High School principal Alyson Mizoguchi says that measures such as yondr pouches – magnetic lockable pouches specifically to prevent cell phone use – would be similarly inefficient, as well as detrimental to the need for older students to learn skills such as self-regulation. Wayland staff appeared to be thinking along similar lines, as almost 50% of teachers answered yes when asked if students should be allowed to use their phones at non-learning times during the school day.
Presently, enforcement during class appears to be at teacher discretion. Of the middle and high school students surveyed, only 39% answered yes when asked if cell phone expectations and practices were applied by all staff members at their school. The percentage increased when the same question was put to staff, with 54% answering “no.”
“The tricky thing about enforcement is that the phones aren’t ours and they’re very expensive,” said panelist Theresa Carney, principal of Wilson Middle School in Natick.
Panelist Kim Lysaght, principal of Newton’s Charles E. Brown Middle School, added that additionally enforcement has to be conducted in a way that does not damage relations between teachers and students, which in turn hampers the learning process. “The addictive nature of cell phones can make kids very combative,” she said.
In both cases, Carney and Lysaght supported preventing such confrontations before they began, either through devices being kept in secure holders or yondr pouches.
Unsurprisingly, most students were unhappy with the prospect of greater restrictions, according to the survey, saying that it unfairly affected those who used their mobile devices responsibly. However, 54% were open to secure lockers, though some students raised concerns about the increased risk of forgetting or losing their phone.
While some older high school students initially voiced concerns about losing constant access to their devices, many have since acknowledged the benefits. “I used to be glued to my phone even during lunch,” said one high school student. “Now, I actually talk to more people and feel more connected to my friends.”
Lysaght observed improvements in social interaction as well. When phones were stowed away at the beginning of the day, students focused more not only on schoolwork but their friends, talking more while waiting for classes to begin. “Even if [the phone] is in your locker, you’re looking for a moment to go check it,” she said. Not having a phone readily available “frees them up mentally.”
Current practices across Wayland’s schools vary by level. Elementary students are required to leave personal electronic devices at home or keep them off and stored in backpacks, while middle school students must power down and stow their devices during school hours. High school students, meanwhile, are not permitted to use personal devices in classrooms or academic areas – a policy enforced by teachers on a daily basis.
These findings resonate with national conversations on student mental health.The proposed changes are not simply about confiscation but about management, in response to critics of strict phone policies raising concerns about emergency communication. However, research and practical experience suggest that the benefits of reducing in-class distractions outweigh the risks.
“If they need to reach their family, they can use a school phone,” said Carney. She went on to say that in some cases, staff have had to teach students how to use a landline.
Wayland Public Schools held a community event last October to discuss social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Anxious Generation, which details the impact of smartphones, social media, and technology on children’s mental health.
In two recent articles from The Atlantic, Haidt warned that the shift to a “phone-based childhood” is contributing to a generation-wide increase in anxiety, depression, and social isolation. Haidt’s work highlights that excessive smartphone use fragments attention, disrupts learning, and even undermines the quality of face-to-face interactions—a growing concern for educators and parents alike.
As Wayland moves forward, the committee emphasizes that clear communication and consistent enforcement will be key. There will be ongoing assessments and community feedback planned throughout the school year.
