The Oregon Department of Education advises schools to keep phones turned off during classes

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – The Oregon Department of Education has advised schools to keep phones turned off and away from On Wednesday, guidelines on the rules for using mobile phones in schools were published.

The ruling came after a report from the National Education Association highlighted educators’ concerns about the negative impact of electronic devices on learning and students. mental health and well-being.

Under Oregon law, school districts are required to establish policies for the use of personal cell phones and other electronic devices.

The Department of Education is now calling on districts to review and update their policies.

The guidelines outline strategies to reduce cell phone use.

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The Portland Public Schools Board of Education heard from more students and community members as they debate a new policy regarding student cell phones in the classroom

For example, students can leave their cell phones at home or report them to the front desk staff member at the beginning of the school day.

Another method is for teachers to organize classroom storage, as detailed in the guidance: “Schools can set up designated storage areas in their classrooms, such as ‘bins’, ‘mobile phone hotels’ or ‘mobile phone lockers’, where students they can keep their phones at the beginning of class.”

Camille Stephen attends a private school in downtown Portland that has adopted the caddie approach. She said: “I have been doing this for 3 months now. It works great.”

“It seems like getting away from social media is really working,” said Mark Stephen, Camille Stephen’s father.

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The debate over cell phones in the classroom was the main topic of Monday night’s Portland Public Schools Board meeting.

Portland schools, including Grant High School and Beaumont Middle, opted to block phones instead the so-called Yondr bag.

Students leave their phones in a secure facility until the bell rings.

2023 Common Sense Media Survey discovered that teenagers receive as many as 237 or more notifications every day, 1/4 of which come from school activities.

While some parents believe that no phones means no distractions, many students want access to their phones when it matters most.

Jason Mendez, a Beaverton High School student, said he is allowed to have his phone with him in class, but it must remain in his backpack.

“I think we should have more emergency access,” Mendez said.