Hang Up and Hang Out

Today, we sit down with Matt Graham and Chris Vail to unpack Chesapeake Public Schools' "Away for the Day" cell phone policy, aligned with Governor Youngkin's Executive Order 33. You'll hear firsthand accounts from Principal Jeff Johnson, teacher Corey Perillo, and senior Katelynn Diehl from Great Bridge High School. They share their unique experiences, challenges faced, and the surprisingly positive outcomes of this policy. You'll also hear some practical tips and strategies for balancing screen time. Don't miss this discussion on the broader implications of this policy and how it contributes to a more meaningful, secure, and engaged educational experience for everyone involved.

Chapters

• 0:00 Cell Phone Policy in Schools
• 11:51 Cell Phone Policy Effects in Schools"
• 17:47 Parental Perspectives on School Cellphone Policy
• 23:52 The Impact of Cell Phone Policies
• 31:32 Cell Phone Policy Discussion and Updates

Transcript

Matt Graham: 0:00

Welcome to Amplify the Chesapeake Public Schools podcast.

Chris Vail: 0:13

Chesapeake Public Schools is located in the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia. We proudly serve over 40,000 students in 45 schools and three centers. Join us as we share the stories behind our story by celebrating the people and programs that make us one of the premier school districts in Virginia. All right, Amplified listeners, we're back for another exciting episode.

Matt Graham: 0:37

That's right, this is Matt Graham and I'm here with Chris Vail, and school is in full swing.

Chris Vail: 0:43

Hey, we are back firing on all cylinders right now, getting these kids in the classroom and getting after it right. How's it been for you and your family? It's been a great start to the school year, just getting back into that routine. Both my boys like a routine. Do better when they're on a routine. Yeah, so it's been a good start. How about?

Matt Graham: 1:00

yourself. Ah, the same. I think this year this is wife and I. We finally have like the plan correct for what can help our kids get out of the house and a good note every day. So I think we're going in the right direction there.

Chris Vail: 1:16

Talking about a plan right. This school year new policy for our high school is dealing with cell phone.

Matt Graham: 1:22

Now. Last year, chesapeake Public Schools did implement a new cell phone policy.

Chris Vail: 1:27

So last year at the high school level it was off during the day other than the cafeteria and that was up to each principal in their school on whether students could use their cell phone or why they were at lunch. But going into this year, the big change is off and away for the day Right, and that's also in accordance with Governor Youngkin's Executive Order 33.

Matt Graham: 1:50

And that's what this episode's all about. We were able to speak with a few people from Great Bridge High School the principal, a teacher, even a student about how that away for the day looks in their building.

Chris Vail: 2:03

And I think it's important getting those three different perspectives, looking through three different lenses on whether it's been successful, what have been the challenges, what have been the positives moving forward Right, and we were planning these episodes out for the school year.

Matt Graham: 2:16

This was one that we definitely wanted to touch base on. We even had a teacher reach out to us through the Ask Us Anything show, where, if you visit cpschoolscom forward slash amplified you can connect with us. So shout out to Dori Suttmiller because she was like, hey, let's talk about the cell phone policy. Well, guess what? That's what we're doing. And also, at the same time this is crazy because it is a hot topic in our state the First Lady of Virginia and Jonathan Haidt, who is the author of the Anxious Generation, just recently hosted a fireside chat on this exact topic. And here is Jonathan Haidt who discusses one of the parental concerns during emergency situations with being cell phone free for the day.

Jonathan Haidt: 3:01

Now, I'm glad you asked that because this is the most common objection and I completely understand it. As I said, my kids go to New York City public schools and if there was a shooting incident or something like that, I would want to know that they're okay. I would want to talk to them, I'd want to hear them. But we have to do what is best for the kids, not what's best for our feelings in the moment. And the school security experts all say the same thing. When there's an emergency, the last thing you want is every kid pulling out their phone and saying bye, mom, I love you. What you want is the kids to do what they drilled to do.

Jonathan Haidt: 3:43

There are reasons why we have security protocols in place, and so the security experts say keep quiet, Follow directions. The teacher has a phone. The teachers will always have phones. So it's a natural parental response to want to call instantly, in part because we've been connected to our kids from the moment we cut the umbilical cord. We stay connected to them and we have to learn to let go and trust that in the school they care about the kids and they're doing what's best for the kids. So it's hard for us, but we have to do what's best for the kids.

Matt Graham: 4:14

So, after listening to that as a parent, well, that was one of the big takeaways that I got was just that statement there, because that, honestly, was my concern what do we do in emergency situations? I really liked that statement there because that, honestly, was my concern what do we do in emergency situations? I really like that response and it honestly made me feel a little bit better.

Chris Vail: 4:29

Yeah, and I think us as parents, especially where you have kids that are from the middle school level up, we're used to that immediate connection with your kid your true, whether you're using life 360 tracking your child yeah, where they're supposed to be, or that ability to text them to make sure they're all right, wish them a good day. Um, when you and I grew up, we didn't have that and we were just fine, and parents, if they needed to get in touch with their child at school, they just call the main office. Yeah, he had a lot of good points that if you haven't seen it, it's going to be. It's worth watching. It's on the Virginia department of ed's YouTube channel. It's definitely worth a watch, or his book is worth a read.

Matt Graham: 5:07

Right, and we're not getting paid for that plug. They're not paying us to say it, but he definitely gets a couple of shout outs in this episode because it is so relevant in this discussion.

Chris Vail: 5:17

This topic is getting a lot of interest from the national level and especially at our state level, with the route our governor is taking and getting ahead. But you're seeing a lot of buy-in and a lot of different perspectives on what's the best way to implement something like this.

Matt Graham: 5:32

I really enjoyed this conversation that we had with everyone today. So, listeners, we hope you enjoy this episode. Sit back and relax as we jump into this discussion. Joining us today we have the principal of Great Bridge High School, mr Jeff Johnson, and one of the teachers, mrs Corey Pirello, to talk about the cell phone policy and how it's going on at Great Bridge High School. So, first off, welcome to the podcast and before we dive into this topic, can you both take a moment to share a little bit about yourself so that our listeners get to know you a little bit better?

Jeff Johnson: 6:10

Sure, sure, I'd love to. First of all, I'd like to say thanks for inviting me. This is my first podcast, so we'll see how it goes. This is my 30th year with Chesapeake Public Schools, my 21st as an administrator, so I'm excited about that experience and still been able to do that. I was on the vast board of directors for six years, so I had the opportunity there to meet with other principals throughout the state, talk about things just like what we're going to talk about today, and get their perspectives. And then we also had the superintendent for public instruction. He would come out and meet with us from time to time so we could share concerns and things with him. So I have a varied set of experiences that I think have helped me be successful at my job at Great Bridge High School.

Core Perillo: 6:48

Thanks guys. I am a graduate of Hickory High School, so I'm a Chesapeake product myself 1998. I won't go back there, so I'm also a Great Bridge Wildcat. If you guys know the Great Bridge Hickory went back and taught at Great Bridge High School in 2005,. Was there for a few years, then had a bunch of children who are now also Chesapeake students there at Hickory Schools and I found my way back, always coming back to Great Bridge. So I've been there for the last four years and now I'm teaching family and consumer science.

Chris Vail: 7:18

Great Well, I think we're ready to dive right into this.

Jeff Johnson: 7:22

Dive right in.

Chris Vail: 7:22

All right. So, mr Johnson, what does a way for the day look like in your building?

Jeff Johnson: 7:29

So it's the same in my building as it is in any building in Chesapeake Public Schools, right? So we have our students put their phones away before they walk through the door in the morning essentially. And they don't have access to those phones again until after they leave school in the afternoon.

Matt Graham: 7:44

Okay. So where do they put them away when you ask them to do that In their backpacks?

Jeff Johnson: 7:48

Okay, and you know we wanted to make sure and I think that's a good policy. To be honest with you and when you're talking about, I know parents had some concerns about students having access to their phones in case there was an emergency and those kind of things. But their phones are in their backpacks so they have access to them if they need them in certain circumstances, but for the biggest part, we don't want to see those phones for the entire day.

Chris Vail: 8:09

Okay, so when you kicked off the school year because it's different than last school year, right At the high school level your school was one. I think they could use it in the cafeteria, am I correct?

Jeff Johnson: 8:19

That's correct.

Chris Vail: 8:20

So how did you get this information in the parents' hands and in the students' hands to kick off that first day of school on September 3rd?

Jeff Johnson: 8:28

So a shout out to the communications department because I know you guys really put it out there to the families over the summer, which we really appreciated. That helped us tremendously. And then in my welcome back letter to students and families I mentioned it in there. And then once school started, you know, we met with each grade level individually the second or third day of school and we really went through the policy with those guys. So the word was out Right. So that was kind of their warning at that point and what was the first week with that, with the new change.

Jeff Johnson: 8:57

You know the first couple of days was a challenge. We had a few students who didn't understand what the expectation was, but we were able to clarify that. But since then it's gotten much better, so we haven't had a major problem with it.

Chris Vail: 9:09

All right, mr Perillo, how about you from that teacher perspective? Last year it was a little bit differently, and I'm sure there were some down times too, where students were using it. What's your perspective on this from a teacher, kicking off the year with these new rules?

Core Perillo: 9:23

It's really nice to take it out of the teacher's hands and not make it their responsibility, that it's a school-wide and it's a community-wide thing that we're all getting on board for this. Lots of research going into it and from my part, I teach wellness, so mental wellness is really one part of this whole key thing about this phone. That is sort of diving down into these kids and trying to get them out of being on those phones all the time and trying to really talk to one another.

Matt Graham: 9:50

Right and to go along with that you were teaching how many?

Core Perillo: 9:54

years you said A long time. No, don't worry, I'm really young, so how?

Matt Graham: 10:00

has the presence of cell phones maybe affected your classroom environment or dynamics the past few years?

Core Perillo: 10:06

Yeah, I mean, you can tell their personalities and it's kind of a time suck and it makes them a little unmotivated. If they can be like I can do my work later and they're just something that they want to do, there's no excuses now. It's not an option to do that. Let's get the work done, let's grind it out and then you can relax. I've got lots of different games that I've created to play with them, to kind of just bring them back to being kids, because even high schoolers they're kids. So trying to just promote that. Being in a school where I didn't have cell phones, I don't even remember what it's like, honestly, to not have a cell phone in the classroom. It's just kind of there and I understand I do.

Jeff Johnson: 10:47

I'm that old.

Core Perillo: 10:50

But in the last few years it's kind of just overtaken our world and our education and it's time to get back to the important part of education.

Chris Vail: 10:58

Well, I want to dig in a little bit into that teacher workroom and those conversations that are going on at Great Bridge High School about the cell phone policy. You just talked about the idea of having games in your classroom during that downtime. Is that something that the teachers you guys are collaborating about? You know how to fill that need when, before it could be, hey, just pull out your phone, you can listen to music while you're doing your work. How are you guys talking about this?

Core Perillo: 11:22

Absolutely. I have an amazing department and we really work together at that and share all of our things. We have a co-curricular club that we have really ignited this year where we have members who are trying to plan you know events and community activities, even simple things that just you know painting rocks to just kind of spread a little bit of color in our senior court. They weren't doing that before because they were more interested in being on a device instead of actually being involved in their community.

Matt Graham: 11:51

I've heard one of the biggest changes is the lunchroom environment. So you were saying that the lunch last year they could have it out in lunch, but with this new policy this year that's not the case across our schools, right? So what's the major change that you've maybe seen with that?

Jeff Johnson: 12:06

So I'm glad you brought that point up. So the back door of my office opens up to the lunchroom. So when the bell rings for first lunch I open that door just so I can just kind of be there, walk out, kind of see what's going on. I would have that door open during meetings last year because the noise level was so low I didn't have to worry about it. But now what we're hearing, with these kids not having their phones out, is they're having conversations with each other. So the noise level is elevated. But it's a great, you know, it's a great conversation they're having with their friends and they're creating friendships. It's just a bonus for all of us really.

Chris Vail: 12:37

So you're welcoming that noise level in the cafeteria, Mr Johnson.

Jeff Johnson: 12:40

Absolutely, absolutely.

Core Perillo: 12:42

Yeah, I think a loud class is a positive class for mostly.

Core Perillo: 12:46

I mean I like my kids talk when it's too quiet, it's like it's like what's going on here, like you want them to be engaged and when they have their phones it's very easy to be not engaged. You're meeting new people that maybe you wouldn't have even you would have sat next to a kid and not even known their name and now you know you're kind of forced to stare at the person across from you and have a conversation and I just think that's huge yeah.

Chris Vail: 13:16

Well, it hasn't been difficult in the cafeteria, though, making that transition from last year. Hey, I can throw on my ear pods or headphones, I can watch a reel, but now I can't have it out. How's that transition gone?

Jeff Johnson: 13:24

We haven't really seen any kind of escalation and issues that we had to deal with. Actually, it's been a little bit better.

Jeff Johnson: 13:30

Wow, that's good Because they are communicating and they are creating these relationships. So it's been great. We've had some incidents where students have wanted to get on their cell phone to check their text messages or things like that Snapchat, I'm sure, but they're going to the restroom. So we're catching them because we're monitoring our restrooms and they're like, oh my gosh, as soon as you walk in, I'll see the kid in the corner of the restroom with the phone. They're like oh, I'm sorry, mr Johnson, and I'm like, okay, well, come on, follow me. You know, everybody makes a mistake. We'll just make sure we get this right. So we've liked it, we've welcomed it. It's been a great change in our cafeteria and we've seen very few issues as a result of taking those funds away.

Core Perillo: 14:03

And I think teachers do a great job too. We have the library. That's a much quieter spot. Student does not like to be in a loud place, so I think we have places where kids can go, and even our club is meeting at lunch to kind of communicate. So there's options for kids if they don't want to be. I understand you don't want to be in a loud clock, in a loud lunchroom, but this way they can do that and meet with their friends, and the kids who want to be in a quieter spot also have that option.

Chris Vail: 14:31

Right. So what happens? Let's say we have a student that violates your cell phone policy, that they have it out, mr Johnson or Mrs Perlow, it's in your classroom. You know what's next steps.

Jeff Johnson: 14:45

So they call security and security comes down, picks up the phone, takes you to the front desk and then we log it in and we have a log and then my assistant principals have access to that so they know what kid what kid has you know had their phone confiscated and what number they're at. Okay, so if it's the first one, it's warning, they pick it up at the end of the day. Second one, then parent has to pick up, and so on and so on. I have to tell you I'm gonna give my, my students and my teachers a shout out real quick. My students have been amazingly respectful. So any student that I have walked up to caught them in the bathroom or they've had their phone out.

Jeff Johnson: 15:14

They were like yes, sir, no sir, I apologize, that kind of thing. And my teachers are holding the line. They're doing a really good job and my word to them has always been I don't want you to stop what you're doing. Your job is to teach. I don't want you to try to manage cell phones in your classroom. That's our job. So they do a really good job about getting on the phone and calling security and then go right back to work and keep doing what they're supposed to be doing.

Core Perillo: 15:36

I've fortunately had one incident all year which I can't even believe, I think trying to make it as small as a problem. You know it shouldn't be breaking up the day, and the more that we continue doing this this way, then the less of those we'll have, because they know it's going to get taken away from them, so they don't want that to happen.

Chris Vail: 15:53

How about the issues with social media? Do you think this has helped to tone that down a little bit?

Jeff Johnson: 15:59

Yeah, and I'll give you an example of that. So we had an issue with two students on the bus this morning and as soon as they came into the building and I walked into my assistant principal's office and I said, well, hey, how'd this start? And she said, well, she talked about me on social media. So she was at the bus stop and she looked it up, she saw this girl had said something to her or said something about her on social media. So that started the confrontation right there. So we're not getting that in school now. It used to be when kids could get on their phone at lunch. They could look at them and they were snapping each other and next thing, you know, we had three or four kids in the bathroom and there was some type of argument or altercation.

Matt Graham: 16:34

Right, so discipline's gone down from the first month of school.

Jeff Johnson: 16:37

You've noticed already.

Matt Graham: 16:38

Exactly.

Katelynn Diehl: 16:39

Wow.

Matt Graham: 16:40

Okay. In the past we had BYOD, bring your own device and we allowed our students to bring in their device and when the teacher permitted it, it was okay to use. So some people might think that are we taking a step backwards with technology or implementing technology in the classroom with this policy? What's your take on that, or what's something that you would talk to our community about?

Core Perillo: 17:03

I mean, they all have a Chromebook, so they can't argue. You can take a picture on a Chromebook, you can look on the internet on the Chromebook, you can listen to music on the Chromebook, and every child at in Chesapeake public schools is given a Chromebook, so that I don't think it's backwards at all.

Jeff Johnson: 17:18

Okay, no, I don't either, and I think the teachers have box lights in their room too, so they have that added technology and that's working out great as interactive technology. So, uh, no, I'm, I'm. I agree with Ms Perillo. I think they're right where we need to be.

Matt Graham: 17:29

And I had to agree with you too, because when I was in the classroom, there was times where we would, and it was the time where we could be YOD and bring the own device and I had the students use certain apps and programs and and sometimes the apps didn't even work well. It was always better on the laptop or the Chromebook or whatever we were using at that time.

Chris Vail: 17:47

Yeah, let's go with the parents. Let's talk about all of us in this room. We're parents. I have a high school student. I have a middle school student. Ms Perillo, you have four kids that are in school. Mr Johnson, your daughter's a senior in high school right now and I'm sure when this came out they weren't happy. I know my own son was not thrilled that the cell phone was going to go away from the day, and I know we've heard from some parents too. What's the message you'd like to get out to parents? What are some things they might not realize? That goes on with cell phones in the school? When they were allowed, why did they need to be away for the day?

Core Perillo: 18:23

I would encourage them to read a book. It's called the Anxious Generation.

Core Perillo: 18:27

You can even and it kind of is funny, because it's a social media app too you can read it on Instagram and I know that's kind of like you know, ironic, but it really just focuses on the kids these days and what they, that the play has been taken away from them, that they are becoming adults in much quicker places. So, as a parent, I love it. I'm also a mom that, like my eighth grader, she doesn't even still have Snapchat, because I knew she couldn't handle it, I knew it wasn't good for her mental health, and that's because I'm in the buildings and I watch these middle school and high school teenagers. They're struggling with who they are and what they want to be, and I said write me a PowerPoint presentation on the good reasons for Snapchat and I will consider it, so you said that to your daughter I did I said it, I said go ahead.

Core Perillo: 19:10

I'm all ears, I'm ready. And she couldn't do it. And she hasn't fought me about it anymore because she realizes mentally, like she looks at what's going on, even when she's with her other friends in their Snapchat, and they start to get, and it's just a. I want them to be kids. I want them my. You know, my fifth grader doesn't have a phone. I think I'm probably in the minority there. My 11th grader is the only one that's allowed to bring his device to school, and that's just me. But I just I think if more people knew it was okay and they weren't like well, everybody else has it, and I think that's where we got onto it that we could really maybe change a tide. So I think this policy here is huge for that.

Jeff Johnson: 19:50

Right, yeah, and I think if I were a parent with younger children, I would take your advice, corey. I would make them create a PowerPoint for me. I think that's a great idea.

Core Perillo: 19:58

A Google Slide. Sorry, a Google Slide. Okay, yeah, they don't know what PowerPoint is. Powerpoint, I'm kind of outdated with PowerPoint. Now, right, they wouldn't know.

Jeff Johnson: 20:05

But I think the thing, the murmuring that I've kind of heard from parents, like at athletic events and things like that, was what, in case there's an emergency, I need to reach my student and I'm like, yeah, their phone will be in their backpack, but we have school phones so you can call the school.

Jeff Johnson: 20:21

Or if your student needs to come down to the office and call a parent, they're more than welcome to do that Right, so there is access there. And I remember when the policy was just starting we're just starting to have conversation about the policy coming out and I had a conversation with my daughter who was a senior this year, and I said, hey, looking forward, you're not going to have your phone in school next year. And you know her first response was really, you know that's the first thing she said, but she understood it. You know, and I think she's mature enough to handle it, being a senior, some of the issues we're having with the younger kids. They're not mature enough to handle it, but we'll get them there.

Core Perillo: 20:52

I think for the most part the parents that I have spoken to, they're excited about this policy.

Core Perillo: 20:57

They needed someone else to say we need help with this. And I think, even when you're looking at your family and you're like, wow, like are we having dinner together? Is this something we're doing, or is everybody sitting on their devices? Those are things that are important to me. I think and I mean, we have a big family and it's hard to get everybody together but if we're not paying attention to one another, then that that relationship is missing.

Chris Vail: 21:19

So what's some recommendations maybe for parents at home? You talked about this a little bit. What are some recommendations maybe for parents at home? You talked about this a little bit. What are some things maybe you do in your own house to limit?

Jeff Johnson: 21:29

screen time. Well, when my kids were younger, we had a basket set on the counter and there was a time where we would say, okay, phone's in the basket, so we would separate and then have our family time, like Corey mentioned, after that. So that was dinner. We were watching a movie together. Whatever that happened, whether we're walking through the neighborhood together, whatever that was uh, phones in the basket.

Core Perillo: 21:48

I tell my kids when their friends are over, you're hanging up and hanging out.

Matt Graham: 21:52

Yeah.

Core Perillo: 21:52

So you're, we don't need what. Who do you need to talk to if you're with each other? You're, you're looking at that and I think that's important. Also, phones at my house, um, for my younger kids they're not in bedrooms. So my junior, he has shown some responsibility. I think that's per kid. My other kids, those cell phones, they stay downstairs. They don't even go upstairs into the rooms because it's just it's not necessary.

Chris Vail: 22:17

I can tell you I love the phrase. Ms Perillo, hang up and hang out, because that's what we're looking to do.

Core Perillo: 22:24

We're looking to build those schools.

Katelynn Diehl: 22:28

I won't take it as a credit for that.

Core Perillo: 22:30

She says it to her students last year. She's builder of those relationships that it shows in her classroom, so shout out to her.

Chris Vail: 22:36

Well, that's part of the work world, right? Having that ability to go out there and talk to others you might not know, and communicate and get to know people. So that's a great catchphrase to get out there and get people motivated about this.

Matt Graham: 22:50

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our community about the policy, like you had already mentioned, about the emergency situation, like you still have it in their backpack, but is there anything else that you would like to share with our community about the new cell phone policy and how's it going?

Core Perillo: 23:06

Sure, I just believe in us when we are doing this. As educators, we are making our best to be positive influences in your children's lives. So if we say this is something that needs to happen in a classroom because it's a positive thing, then trust us that we're doing the right thing.

Jeff Johnson: 23:23

Yeah, and I would piggyback on that by saying you know it's. It's a positive situation, I think, for everybody involved. You know teachers aren't having to manage that in the classroom, which means they can spend more time on instructing children, so children are learning more. Uh, we don't have the discipline related to cell phones that we have in past years, so administrators can do the things they're supposed to be doing pushing into classrooms and supporting teachers and working with students. So I know it took us a while to get there, but I think we're right where we need to be.

Matt Graham: 23:52

Well, I want to thank you all for coming on to the podcast and sharing all this information. I know I took something from this and hopefully our community does too and see how the away for the day seems to be working in a positive light at your school and in your building and hopefully, like you said, helping out that mental side. And it's cool to hear that kids are, you know, talking to each other in the lunchrooms and things like that. I mean, I saw a picture where we went to a concert and back in the day people had their hands up and everything. And now you see pictures at concerts and they're holding up their cell phones and it's like are you really in the moment, right? Are you actually enjoying that moment? So again, thanks for shedding a light on all this. The cell phone policy updates.

Chris Vail: 24:36

And it sounds like we're headed in the right direction. I know, mr Johnson. I had the opportunity to visit your school a week ago with some school board members and I was impressed going into a high school and seeing kids in the hallway and they're talking to each other walking down the hallway. They're not. Nobody was on their phone, no one had the earbuds or headphones on. They were getting to their next class.

Jeff Johnson: 24:58

Exactly, and I, you know, hands down. It's a policy that's moving us in the right direction and it's good for kids, and that's what we're here for.

Core Perillo: 25:04

So hang up and hang out.

Matt Graham: 25:09

All right listeners. You thought we were finished. You thought we were done on this topic, but no, not at all. We wanted to hear from the students as well, and we are fortunate to have with us a student from Great Bridge High School, senior Caitlin Deal. Welcome to the podcast. Thanks for coming in.

Katelynn Diehl: 25:26

Thank you.

Matt Graham: 25:27

Caitlin, you are a senior. You are also into sports, marketing and broadcasting, if I'm not mistaken. All right, and what are sort of your plans that you have for finishing out this school year?

Katelynn Diehl: 25:40

So my plans for this school year is just to exceed in finishing my high school career, just to talk to more people and get more connections with people. For what I want to do, I want to go into sports broadcasting and my plans after high school is to attend an SEC school either Auburn or Ole Miss, and major in sports journalism. So I have been in Chesapeake Public Schools my whole life. My mom was a teacher, now she's a teaching coach.

Matt Graham: 26:07

So we just had your principal, Mr Jeff Johnson, and we had teacher Mrs Corey Perello talking about the cell phone policies. What was it like when you heard cell phones are away for the day.

Katelynn Diehl: 26:19

My first thoughts was this kind of sucks, because it's our senior year last year and you can't have your phones at all. It kind of grew on me a little because then I was like maybe people actually learn and stuff. But at the same time I feel like if a teacher feels that a student is being disrespectful, then they'll put it away. But I understand the purpose of it. Last year there were some like incidents probably where students were not paying attention to their teachers and teachers couldn't get them to put their phones away. So I understand that aspect. It just is frustrating at some points when you're like have nothing else to do in class.

Matt Graham: 26:57

How has it been like socially?

Katelynn Diehl: 27:00

Some students have become more involved in things at school. I do feel like everybody has been talking to each other a lot more. I feel like in class, like, for example, yearbook. We have almost a whole new class this year, so I feel like we've all talked and communicated with each other a lot more than we did last year, so we've all gotten to know each other a little bit more than in previous years.

Chris Vail: 27:22

So Mr Johnson was talking about the cafeteria and said the year before he just left the door open to his office because it was nice and quiet in there and he's noticed the volume go up not in a bad way, but it's gone up. When you're eating lunch in the cafeteria, what type of things are you noticing now that cell phones aren't out?

Katelynn Diehl: 27:41

So when I'm actually in the cafeteria sometimes I sit in the senior courtyard, but when I'm in the cafeteria I've noticed it is definitely a lot louder and there's a lot more people like walking around. It's like they don't, they can't just sit there because they don't know what to do with themselves, so they just are like walking around and they go and talk to all their different friends from different sports teams and stuff. But that's mainly what I've recognized.

Matt Graham: 28:04

One of the biggest opponents of the cell phone policy is what about in an emergency? Do you still feel safe within the building, even though the cell phone isn't on your person, throughout the school day?

Katelynn Diehl: 28:17

Yeah, I still feel safe. I've never felt unsafe at school before. If I had, I don't think I'd ever have a problem. If I had a problem, I'd just contact or come in communication with my teachers, or even if I needed to reach my mom or something, I could always email her. So it's not a problem to me.

Chris Vail: 28:33

Before this policy was put in place, do you think you spent more time, like more screen time, on your phone? Have you found a difference? You personally, on your phone. I know all of us we pick up the phone quite a bit and look at it. We help on different social media. Is there a change in your behaviors due to this policy?

Katelynn Diehl: 28:51

I don't know if it's necessarily because of the policy I know I'm taking a lot like right now. This season is very busy, so I don't know if it's because I've been super busy and all my classes take up time. I don't even have time to look at my phone. But at school probably yes. But when I did go on my phone last year for school it was for purposes of schoolwork. It wasn't just to mess around on my phone or anything. I used it for school. So yes and no.

Matt Graham: 29:18

What would you tell high school students that might be new to Virginia about the new policy?

Katelynn Diehl: 29:25

I would tell them it's not really a big deal. When you hear it, yes, you're like oh my goodness, we can't have our phones. But when you're at school you're already doing so much, especially if you're involved in school and if you're taking harder classes and stuff, there's not time to go on your phone at all. I wouldn't have any time to go on my phone. So I tell them it's really not a big deal.

Chris Vail: 29:45

We talked with Mrs Perillo. Mr Johnson, you know, in their personal life they both have families at home and they set some boundaries with the cell phone and screen time. Is that something in your household that your parents have done with you?

Katelynn Diehl: 30:00

I used to have screen time my parents would set up, but I they took it away for a little bit because I got older. But I set screen time for myself. That way I'm not on my phone too much, so I have like an hour on social media and the only time I'll take that away from myself at game time is if I'm doing something for, like, sports, journalism or something.

Matt Graham: 30:18

So you set that up yourself. Wow, that's good. So that's some responsibility and self-discipline with that.

Chris Vail: 30:25

Yeah, but when you were younger your parents were. They set that up, or there were times when you were allowed to use your phone and be on your phone, and then there were other times where they said you couldn't. And then, as you got older and matured, you decided and that's quite some maturity that you don't even see out of adults.

Matt Graham: 30:43

I need to do that.

Chris Vail: 30:47

I need to do that. I need to do that for real on my phone, Putting down that phone.

Matt Graham: 30:49

So that's impressive, Caitlin that you're doing that on your own. Have you seen any negative effects of overuse of the cell phone within the school day, maybe in the past?

Katelynn Diehl: 30:58

I did see where it was distracting to some kids, and when you're on your phone, you're usually on social media or playing a game. Half the time it's social media and social media has positive and negative effects to it, and most of the time when you're at school, it's negative because you see everything everybody else is doing while you're sitting there in a school building. So I did see a lot of like negative effects and people seem a little bit more positive now that they don't have their phones you know, caitlin, how's volleyball going it.

Katelynn Diehl: 31:26

It's going pretty good.

Chris Vail: 31:27

We're going to see in the playoffs.

Katelynn Diehl: 31:29

Hopefully, all right.

Chris Vail: 31:30

Let's go, wildcats Go.

Matt Graham: 31:32

Wildcats. Well, thank you so much for coming in and sharing your perspective and thoughts with us on the cell phone policy, and good luck in volleyball. Thank you and congratulations on your senior year. Thank you and good luck in volleyball. Thank you and congratulations on your senior year, thank you.

Matt Graham: 31:47

We encourage you to visit the VDOE's website for more information on the new cell phone policy, including the most recent fireside chat with Jonathan Haidt and the First Lady of Virginia. Thanks for listening to this episode. You can share your thoughts by visiting cpschoolscom. Forward slash amplified and don't forget to subscribe or follow us wherever you get your podcasts.