The beginning of the current school year was marked with an excessive wave of new rules and regulations put in place after almost two years of pandemic style learning for Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) students,  faculty, and staff. It seems that one of the most prominent and most despised of these new rules is the cell phone policy.

According to vbschools.com new policies and procedures, the only times students are allowed to use their phones are during class changes and during lunch. This includes if students leave the classroom, in auditoriums, gyms, locker rooms, or to use the restroom. It was also stated that under the regulations, students must keep their cell phones off and put them away in a personal bag or in a teacher-designated area during instructional time or in instructional settings.  Furthermore, the bags will also have to be removed from next to students’ desks and put in the back or front of the classrooms.

This new cell phone policy has been in effect now for a almost two months, with some opposing the school board’s choice to enact the policy in the first place. Many students feel that the policy is not fair, that it is unnecessary, and disagree with the board’s ruling. 

And, although it’s safe to say that most students disagree with the new policy, it’s important to also gather perspectives from a teacher’s point of view. After all, it is the teacher that is asked to follow and implement these rules.

“The phone policy is necessary.  Students are VERY distracted by their phones when they have them out, ” World History II teacher Mr. Zuidema said.

Although many teachers support the phone policy and think it is a good idea for the students’ education some people and teachers may not have the same view.

According to Zuidema, the advantages the phone policy has had in terms of the students’ education has been clearly positive and hopes the policy remains in place in the future.