Maryland State Board of Education Requests Local Cell Phone Policies

The Maryland State Board of Education has approved a resolution requesting local school districts to implement comprehensive cell phone policies by the 2025-26 academic year. While these policies are not mandatory, the board encourages the 24 school systems across the state to align their rules with recommendations from a statewide Task Force on Cell Phone Use in Schools.

During the board meeting held on Tuesday, O’Marie Barnes, a high school student from Prince George’s County and the board’s student member, emphasized the importance of stakeholder input in developing these policies. “This is not a mandate. This is just requesting local education agencies, your [school] district, have a policy that actually engages stakeholder input,” Barnes stated.

Angela Duckworth, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, presented findings from her survey, “Phones in Focus,” which aims to evaluate cell phone policies in schools nationwide. The survey posed questions about schools’ official policies regarding phone use and the physical restrictions in place for student access. Duckworth noted that Maryland had the second-highest response rate, contributing 7,863 responses from over 20,000 educators nationwide.

Duckworth’s analysis revealed that stricter policies correlate with higher educator satisfaction. “The stricter the policy, the happier the educator. The stricter the policy, the less students are distracted in class,” she remarked during the meeting via Zoom.

The resolution also calls for school districts to regularly assess the impact of their cell phone policies on student outcomes and to adapt to emerging technology trends. It stresses the importance of clearly defining expectations for policies, addressing emergency preparedness, and engaging public input. The Maryland State Education Association supports this approach. Paul Lemle, the association’s president, stated, “We support this policy overall, as we want to make sure that cell phones are not distractions to students’ academic success or mental health.”

Current cell phone rules across Maryland vary significantly. Most districts accommodate students with special needs, including those with an Individualized Education Program or a 504 plan. For example, Queen Anne’s County updated its policy this summer to allow students to attend telehealth appointments during school hours, a recommendation made by the task force.

In Allegany County, the school board amended its policy in July, requiring that cell phones be silenced during the school day, although high school students can use them during lunchtime. Middle school students may also use their phones with prior approval from a school administrator.

In contrast, Harford County prohibited all forms of technology, including cell phones and smartwatches, during school hours after amending its policy in June. Meanwhile, the Dorchester County school board voted to revise its policy last week, stating that recording acts of violence or illegal activities on school grounds is prohibited, with violations leading to an immediate 10-day suspension.

Rachel McCusker, a board member and teacher from Carroll County, highlighted the need for ongoing assessment of cell phone policies, particularly regarding enforcement. “A large percentage of teachers welcome policies to start to curb cell phone use in classrooms,” she said. However, she added that teachers often feel conflicted about enforcing such rules, which might impact their relationships with students.

As Maryland schools prepare for the upcoming academic year, the focus on cell phone policies aims to balance the need for educational engagement with the realities of modern technology in students’ lives.