Turn off cellphones in state's classrooms

Opinion editor's note:Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

•••

We see it everywhere — adults and young people with heads lowered and eyes trained on hand-held screens. But that should not be the case when Minnesota's K-12 students are in school and in class. Their learning environment should be a phone-free zone that allows them to focus on listening to and interacting with their teachers and classmates.

More than 95% of teenagers have access to cellphones, according to Pew Research Center, and more than half of them say it would be somewhat difficult for them to give up social media.

Kids won't usually go without that connection on their own, making it critical for schools to step in with guidelines. That's why state legislation that would require schools to have cellphone policiesshould be approved.

Administrators at St. Anthony and Maple Grove middle schools told the Star Tribune that they've observed positive changes in students and the school environment after making their schools cellphone-free. One reported that behavioral problems involving negative social media posts are down dramatically; the other administrator said students are no longer involved in disputes with teachers over phone use.

Rep. Sandra Feist, DFL-New Brighton, sponsored a smart bill that would require Minnesota schools to adopt cellphone possession and use polices for students. The state would not tell schools what those rules should be — just require that they have policies in place by March 2025.

Minnesota school administrator groups would collaborate to make best practices available to schools to help them draft rules that minimize the negative impact of cellphones on student behavior, mental health and academic achievement.

"I'm a mom of middle schoolers and have been concerned about this issue for some time," Feist told an editorial writer. "When we look at the data and understand that this is disruptive, our bill provides schools with a bit more cover to strengthen cellphone policies." She added that research shows that students are more anxious and less attentive and have more behavioral issues at school when they have constant access to their phones.

"This is about the overall well-being of our kids," Feist said, adding that she believes an "off and out of sight" phone policy is ideal. But for now, she said, lawmakers can start with requiring a policy at all and providing resources to help schools.

Feist has worked with state Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, who shared the research of psychologist Jonathan Haidt with superintendents in her district. We agree with Haidt's conclusion that children should have phone-free schools so that they can learn, cultivate friendships and develop into mentally healthy young adults.

It's worth noting that that some Minnesota districts have had pushback from parents or guardians who feel they should have access to their kids via cellphone 24/7. Yet in cases of emergency, students can be easily reached by calling the school. And special guidelines could be factored in if mobile phones are needed for a physical or mental health issue.

As the Star Tribune Editorial Board has previously argued, banning technology from classrooms altogether isn't necessary or realistic. School-issued tablets, laptops and desktop computers are essential tools for some academic work. But cellphones are another story.

Minnesota students should focus on learning while in class — not texting friends or keeping up with the latest posts on Instagram or TikTok.