ARLINGTON, Va. (DC News Now) — Schools and school boards in Virginia are now required to develop policies to create a cell phone-free environment in the classroom to cut down on “addictive” cell phone use and distractions.Guidance put forth by the Virginia Department of Education last year calls for age-appropriate bell-to-bell policies, requiring students to lock up their smartphones from the time the first bell rings until it’s time for dismissal. The guidelines also include smart watches and tablets.Language in the law is aimed at limiting distractions and disruptions in the learning environment, and aims to cut down bullying. It also includes exceptions for students who are under an individualized learning plan (IEP).Some school districts have already adopted a bell-to-bell policy, and Arlington’s policy went into effect on Jan. 6.Most high school students will be required to store their cell phones in secure pouches during the school day starting next school year. This includes at Washington-Liberty, Wakefield and Yorktown, as well as the Arlington Career Center and H-B Woodlawn.Ajay Rao is an Arlington parent who told DC News Now, “I think it’s a good idea. I think, students need to keep concentrated in the school, and it’s a good idea just to keep them tucked away so they don’t have any distractions.”However, Rao’s 8th-grade daughter, Mallika, is a bit more on the fence about the policy, even though she’s gotten used to it already.“We have we have our pouches, and, it’s — it’s OK. Like you said, it kind of gives me a break from my phone, but sometimes I don’t really like it,” said Mallika Rao. “Sometimes it makes people, like, want to use their phones more now that it’s locked up.”
The law also includes provisions preventing students from being suspended if they violate the no-cell-phone policy…