Editor,
As a parent of a current San Mateo-Foster City School District middle school student and the spouse of a San Mateo Union High School District teacher, I strongly support the growing call for bell-to-bell restriction of phones in classrooms and on campus. I’m aligned with the SMDJ editor’s opinion published on Feb. 13.
Local discussion about districtwide cellphone policies acknowledges what many in our community already see: Eliminating personal device distractions can improve the learning environment. At San Mateo High School, a full-day restriction on phones has been credited with helping students focus on classwork and engage more fully with teachers and classmates.
The change.org petition circulating in support of keeping SMUHSD campuses phone-free reflects this same concern: Phones and social media features contribute to distraction, social tension and fractured attention, undermining both focus and inclusion.
My own experience echoes these points. My middle school student wears a digital watch that isn’t accessible during school hours, and that has enabled focus in school and on developing friendships and relationships with teachers and school staff. Meanwhile, my husband has seen firsthand how rampant phone use contributes to off-task behavior, classroom disruption and social pressures that distract from learning.
School should be a place where students are present — intellectually and socially — without the pull of notifications and social feeds. A SMUHSD districtwide bell-to-bell phone policy would give all our students the uninterrupted space they deserve to learn, connect and grow. That’s a change worth supporting. The SMUHSD board of trustees votes on March 26.
Allison MacQueen
San Mateo
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