Last school year, Charlottesville City Schools had a problem. It needed to control cell phone use among students within schools, specifically at Charlottesville High School. A solution? Yondr pouches.
The silver magnetic pouches that prohibit students from using their devices by locking them away seemed like a possible solution for some time. But the pouches caused a division among teachers in the school division’s cellphone committee, which was formed that summer to brainstorm solutions to students’ rampant and growing use of cellphones during instruction time. Some teachers saw them as a quick fix to an issue that needed stricter discipline, while others hailed the pouches as the exact solution the school division needed.
Then, nothing happened. City Schools never purchased the Yondr pouches, despite announcing that pouches were going to arrive toward the end of 2023. Teachers went back to the drawing board, this time with no cellphone committee or clear plan on what’s happening next. And according to Justin Malone, principal at CHS, nothing will happen unless the governor says otherwise.
Now the school division will continue with the cellphone policy it had in place last year, which simply instructs students to keep their device off and away from the first bell up until the last bell.
“We never really had conversations reflecting on how ineffective it was last year,” said Joseph Patterson, math teacher at CHS.
Multiple studies have shown that cellphone use is a massive problem for schools all over the world. Seventy-two percent of high school teachers found that distractions caused by cellphones is a major problem in their classrooms, according to a Pew Research Study. A Common Sense Media study found that 97% of kids age 11 to 17 own a cellphone. In 2020, about 77% of schools had policies in place banning non-academic use of cellphones during the school day, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Another study found that it can take a student 20 minutes to refocus on a task after being distracted, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Cell phone use may have also contributed to a spike in mental health issues for children over the last few years. For example, 41% of students who use social media at high rates have either poor or very poor mental health, according to an American Psychological Association study.
City Schools teachers and staff reached a boiling point over how to reduce students’ use of cell phones in schools last summer after the previous cell phone ban did not pan out how the school division planned. The school system enforced an off and away policy but only during class time, and it quickly realized it wasn’t enough. So, it formed a cellphone committee — composed of teachers, administrators, and parents — to come up with potential solutions. Teachers, like Patterson, were eager to work with his colleagues to solve the cellphone problem.
A lot of teachers said the pouches would eliminate any difficulties that come with disciplining students, said Patterson. The school year prior, City Schools implemented an “off and away” cell phone policy during class time. But there were disparities in how teachers enforced the rule, said Superintendent Royal Gurley at an August 2023 School Board meeting.
That following year, the policy changed to “off and away” for the entire school day, including lunch and break times.
The Yondr pouch plan seemed foolproof. Students would immediately place their cellphones into the pouch once walking into a “phone-free zone.” A small magnet would secure their phone, and stay sealed until it’s unlocked with an “unlocking base.”
But it came at a cost. The pouches would have an initial price of $36,590, and average a yearly maintenance cost of $17,000 to $20,000, said Patterson.
Patterson had mixed feelings about the pouches at first. The algebra teacher perfected his own formula to cell phone use. He purchased pencil pouches — with his own money — to have on each desk in his classroom for his students to put their phones in during class time. Since implementing this years ago, he said he’s seen major improvements in student engagement and test scores.
He said his colleagues didn’t think they could have the same success as some felt Patterson had a better connection with students because he is Black and largely teaches students of color. It caused a division among teachers, he added.
The teachers came to a compromise. They could use the pouches as a third or fourth tier intervention strategy (ie. after a verbal and written warning).
That idea was shot down by the Yondr company itself. Yondr would only sell to schools if they bought pouches for all students within Walker Upper Elementary School, Buford Middle School and CHS. The company refused to be used as a punitive measure, Patterson said.
Everyone was back to the drawing board, but not for long. Educators who spoke with Charlottesville Tomorrow said the teacher sick out in November thwarted any plans the school division had for its cell phone policy.
Malone said other items took priority over Yondr pouches, such as getting more students engaged within the classroom, lowering tardiness and having more staff present within the halls in between classes.
Wrangling the cellphone problem isn’t over though, said Malone. The principal said City Schools are awaiting additional guidance from Gov. Glenn Youngkin. In July, the governor issued an executive order supporting cellphone-free school policies within schools. The order directed various state departments — such as the Department of Education, Superintendent of Instruction, State Health Commissioner and the Secretary of Health and Human Resources — to create plans that support cellphone-free initiatives, including ones that involve Yondr pouches.
The order says it will allocate $500,000 to support Virginia schools implementing the policies.
School divisions will adopt the policies come Jan. 1.
Take Action
Anyone interested in giving feedback on the Virginia Department of Education’s incoming draft guidance on cellphone use in schools can submit thoughts on the Virginia DOE website here.
Malone said City Schools could start the pouches conversation again if that’s something that comes from the state draft guidance, which will come out in September, but will focus on the current policy until then.
“As of right now, we’re experiencing what I consider to be a successful engagement with students, both in school and in class, and responsiveness to off and away,” said Malone. “It could certainly be the case that something like the Yondr pouch, like other schools are using or needing to consider, might come back. But we want to be successful with what we currently have in place.”
For teachers like Patterson, the work is far from over. Despite being against Yondr pouches at first, Patterson still thinks City Schools need to have a stronger plan than the one it currently has in place.
“Why did we do all the work for the summer?” said Patterson. “I just think that we should equip the teachers more in their space and streamline and focus on the classroom and not have this pseudo notion that phones are off and away all day because it’s not.”
