In a report filed with the Board of Education (BOE) at Tuesday’s meeting, School Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor outlined a pilot program to put student cellphones under wraps during school. The “Away All-Day Cellphone Policy” will be inaugurated in several county middle and high schools this semester.
The program aims to keep students off of their cellphone during school hours. According to research cited in the report, limiting access to phones and social media sites can result in fewer distractions, improved engagement, and less cyberbullying and other conflicts.
Interested schools have until Sept. 2 to commit to the pilot program. Schools can call on the Office of Strategic Initiatives for support and resources for implementation of the policy.
In addition, the Superintendent’s office notified the BOE that students will not be able to access popular social media sites like TikTok and Instagram through the MCPS web service.
