Cell Phones in Classrooms at Lutheran East and Lutheran West

by Chris Steinmann '00, CLHSA Superintendent & CEO

There has been a lot of talk over the past few weeks about Senate Bill 250, which Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed into law on May 15, 2024. SB 250 requires each school in the state to have an official policy governing cell phone use in class, with a goal of minimizing or eliminating the distraction that cell phones can cause in the classroom.  

Every educator that I know is tired of battling students over cell phones. They rightly see cell phones as a distraction from the educational process. It can feel like every student in the room would rather watch TikTok than to learn Shakespeare! Plus, there is now mounting evidence that cell phones and social media play a real part in the burgeoning teen mental health crisis. Renowned researchers such as NYU’s Jonathon Haidt and SDSU’s Jean Twenge have shown direct evidence that cell phone usage is a major problem that needs to be addressed.  

At the same time, parents want to be connected to their students. They are used to being able to text them and stay in constant contact with them. Given the serious tragedies that have occurred at schools across our country, many families want their students to have the ability to instantly reach them if something terrible happens. How do school administrators reconcile the educational reasons for banning cell phones with the social concerns that parents bring to the table?

At Lutheran West, we implemented a new cell phone policy for the recently concluded 2023-2024 school year that has addressed both of these concerns. When students walk into any classroom in our building, hanging right next to the door is a place for them to place their cell phone. They do this at the start of each class period. That way, they can learn and engage with the class without the distraction of their phone.  It is not buzzing in their pocket. They can’t just get it out and fire off a quick text. There are no alerts coming in from Snap, TikTok, or Instagram. They are phone-free.  

As soon as class ends, they pick their phone right back up. If they need to text a parent back about an after school activity, they can. Should some pressing matter have appeared on their phone during class, they can respond before their next class begins. If an emergency were to occur, they can simply walk to the front of the room and their phone is there for them. When they arrive at their next class, the cycle begins again.  

We aren’t locking phones away. We also aren’t allowing a free-for-all that distracts from class. The school administration thoughtfully designed this to allow for less distractions in the classroom while allowing for the concerns of students and families.

Over the course of this school year, I conducted a number of focus groups with students and with teachers. The responses in those groups were fascinating! Perhaps not surprisingly, students did not love hanging their cell phones up each period. Despite not liking the idea, nearly 90% of students in the focus groups said that it helped them focus more in class! The teachers with whom I met universally said that eliminating the use of phones during class led to more social interaction, increased engagement, and more class discussion.  

It is possible for schools to lead and shape the culture around cell phone use. Lutheran West has done that exact thing this year. It has been such a success that we are bringing that same policy over to Lutheran East for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. I wish other schools success as they work through this vital issue, and I humbly suggest that they examine a similar policy.

I welcome school administrators to contact me at [email protected] to share thoughts and implementation strategies as we all work to both comply with the new Ohio legislation and provide an optimal learning environment for students and educators.