Lakeville South and other schools in Minnesota were given a new task this school year- to tackle phone use. According to MPR News, because of the new state Legislation passed in July, schools must have a phone policy by March 2025. South started the phone policy at the beginning of the year to ensure it would be year-round and not something added halfway through the school year. All of the classrooms at Lakeville South have the same basic rule- no use of phones bell-to-bell. Many teachers like the new policy as it keeps students engaged and focused in school, but students feel it restricts their freedom.
I interviewed a couple of teachers and students to see how they felt about this new policy. Art teacher, Mr. Hanson, when asked about his opinion on the phone policy said “I think it has positives that outweigh the negatives.” When asked about its success in his classroom he said, “It is surprisingly going very well.” I heard similar responses from Mr. Krebs when asked the same questions. When asked about his opinion on the policy, Krebs said, “I think it’s great. I do believe it is working.” I asked him if the policy could be more effective and he said, “It’s just a matter of consistency in the classrooms. But I’ve been impressed with how the students have responded.” Overall, the teachers at South have been in favor of the phone policy because of the better in-class focus they have had.
Students on the other hand have had mixed reviews. Senior, Mia Zerin, when asked about her thoughts stated that she did not like the new rules. She said, “I understand why they did it but I would say that most students at South are old enough to know when and when not to use phones. The school says they want to treat us as equals but doesn’t trust us with the simplest things, like going to the bathroom.” Other seniors, like Tyler Eiklenborg and Masood Mahmood both stated that they do not like the phone policy. But Masood stated that it has benefited him since, “now I have to have my phone away which makes me work more efficiently.” Most students would say that they do not enjoy the bell-to-bell phone rules and that it is too strict.
Lakeville South has always had an implied rule on phones, like no phones out while the teacher is talking, but with this new policy, students have been resistant. I believe this policy is in place to benefit the students and teachers, but everyone has a varying opinion.
https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2024/08/29/minnesota-now-new-school-cellphone-policy-landscape-across-minnesota-locked-pouches
