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Escambia (FL) School Superintendent Learns About Alabama Program That Keeps Classrooms Phone-Free
September 9, 2024
Between classes at Flomaton High School, students walk down the hallway talking to each other. And at lunch, they talk to each other.
“Our lunches have gotten really loud,” Flomaton High School Principal Mark Harbison said. “The kids talk to each other instead of looking down at their phones all the time.”
Flomaton High and several other school in Escambia County, Alabama, are using what’s called a Yondr pouch to control cellphone usage in school and make classrooms phone-free. Students keep the pouch with them all day until the final bell, and it makes it impossible to take a picture, shoot a video, send a text, or access social media. The pouches are used by many big-name artists to stop recording at their concerts.
And officials say it is now transforming education.
“This is certainly something that we need to talk to our school board members about,” says Escambia County (FL) School Superintendent Keith Leonard. “And more importantly, get with our school-based administrators and our teachers — actually give them the opportunity to visit three or four of the schools here in Escambia County, Alabama, which have implemented the Yondr pouches. I believe it will help our students have more engagement at school and do better academically and socially for that matter.”
And Leonard is taking notes as his district just across the line in Florida is considering new cellphone restrictions for over 37,000 students. Leonard was so impressed, in fact, with the Yondr pouch system that he expects the Escambia County, Florida, district to do something in the next five to six months.
NorthEscambia.com was present recently as Leonard and Cody Strother, Escambia County (FL) School District coordinator for communications, visitedt to Flomaton High to see the Yondr pouches in action.
Each student in the Alabama program is assigned one of Yondr’s form-fitting lockable soft pouches. Students place their powered-off phones and connected devices like earbuds and smart watches inside their individual pouch before they enter the school, and it locks the phone inside with a magnetic disk mechanism. The lock is much like those anti-theft clothing tags that stores remove after you make a purchase. If a student forgets the pouch, they surrender their phone to be locked up in the office for the day.
When students exit the building at dismissal, a specially designed magnet unlocks the pouch. It’s a process that Harbison said only slows down dismissal by just a few minutes as students funnel out of the building.
And, no, not just any magnet or super-strong rare earth magnet will unlock the pouch. It’s a specially designed magnet from the California-based pouch company. The unlocking magnets at school are closely guarded by school staff.
When students enter Flomaton High, they may be asked to show that their phone is locked inside a pouch, and there are random checks during the school day to make sure phones are secure.
“We have people all the time say what do you do if they cut them (the pouches) open,” George Brown II, Escambia County (AL) Schools assistant superintendent, told Leonard. “You can break into a locked house if you really want to. It’s discernment. You’ve got to choose right from wrong.”
If a student cuts open and destroys a pouch in Escambia County, Alabama, they are on the hook for a $20 replacement.
Teachers are in love, we are talking head over heels smitten, with the Yonder pouches. They say their classrooms are phone-free, students are paying attention, and students are actually learning more. Teachers also love that they are not burdened with collecting phones before class begin. Teachers don’t actually have to do anything with phones. If they see a phone, they let the front office know, and an administrator responds to deal with the policy transgression.
“I just love it,” Flomaton High teacher Amy Dullard said. “It has changed my classroom like I never could have imagined.”
Escambia County (AL) Schools Superintendent Dr. Michele Collier is also in love with the program.
“We are expecting to see real numbers from this in learning gains and scores,” she said.
But what about the students?
We visited a classroom where students said they were very apprehensive when they learned the pouches would be in place this school year.
“I didn’t like it at first. My phone is right here,” one student said, pointing at the Yondr pouch next to her with her phone locked inside. “I guess I feel better because it’s here with me all the time, but I still can’t use it.”
In the event of any kind of personal emergency or illness, students are allowed to go to the office to use a (gasp!) landline to call home.
In a more serious situation…just to talk about the worst that is sometimes a reality in our world…during a school shooting or severe weather, students’ phones would be locked inside the pouches as the situation unfolds.
Brown said that in the near-term that would be good, because perhaps hundreds of students would not call 911 at the same time. “They would tie up the lines,” he said. “They (emergency services) would be the first person to tell you that.”
“We have a procedure. We have Centegix (brand) badges. We can get police to a building when we press this,” as he held out a badge on a lanyard around his neck. “And once it’s cleared for it to happen, then they could come around and open them (the phone pouches). And they would. Severe weather, they would come around and do that as well.”
As the Escambia County (AL) Schools pilot their use of the phone pouches, they’ve developed a few exceptions to the program. Students with a medical reason — such as those that use their phones to scan a glucose monitor — are issued a pouch that does not lock. It instead has a Velcro-like closure. It’s loud when it opens. There’s just no way to open it quietly and sneak a phone out during class (We saw it tested by Stother, and it just can’t be opened without garnering attention.)
At Flomaton, yearbook staff members are given a press pass that allows them to sometimes have their phones unlocked for snapping yearbook student life photos at school events.
NorthEscambia.com will keep you updated on any future cellphone policy changes for Escambia County (FL) Schools.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
25 Responses to “Escambia (FL) School Superintendent Learns About Alabama Program That Keeps Classrooms Phone-Free”
As a former high school student, I don’t like this idea because it takes away the one thing that we might be able to make a call to police with if there is ever a shooting. Not to mention, we won’t be able to contact our parents to say our last words or how much we love them. People also get assaulted, raped and abused at school, and not being able to contact your parents is dreadful in that situation. So, I do think phones are necessary for various safety reasons. Also, if the teacher is ok with it then there should be no problem.
My first response was identical to JTV on September 9th..all the teachers back in the late 1980’s to 2000 had to monitor was gum chewing and short skirts. I have been retired for 24 years now and times sure have changed. I first want to commend Superintendent Keith Leonard for being proactive in researching this major hindrance to academic learning but totally agree with the response of ” a joke”..a solution must be equally enforced by all and back up by the school based and county level administration.
I commend Keith Leonard actually checking this out at a school for pros & cons of this. Cell phones take away from what kids should be doing & that is learning! It’s also less distractions for the teachers who deal with issues caused by a cell. Kids with cell phones also cause distractions that take away learning from other kids in class. It’s not a punishment for kids, it’s a learning tool for kids that they don’t need to have it control their lives. My grandkids live in south FL & they elementary school had one entryway into school with a metal detector & NO cell phones were allowed. This should be implemented in my opinion.
Mannnnn my phone fell out of my pocket in 2007 and I got iss for having it …
One final comment, Is anyone else as old as me that once upon a time there once was a parental rule that you didn’t ever call your parents at work unless it was an emergency! Remember way back then?
If parents would be parents and not drama queens there would be no issues with no phones in school. Cell phones should have never been allowed in any school in the first place. Every school office has a landline, free for a students use.
@M in Bratt. Not sure about your nearest school, but the phones have been banned “during instruction” for years at my wife’s former school. The biggest issue was that only a few of the teachers would actually take up the phones but there would be no repercussions from the principal… and the students knew it well. So, if you don’t have a principal who has your back then there’s no use in having the rule. And to the ones who say teachers should have theirs locked up as well… you are equating students to teachers and they clearly are not equals. Many times, teachers have to use a phone when the intercom isn’t working or is not near one. Either way, it doesn’t matter unless the rules are enforced. And they need to bring back tenure for school leadership so that they’re not scared to do their job.
I’m assuming anyone in favor of this isn’t a parent and/or have no fear of the worse happening in the school? We need the funding for more security. Want to put a magnet detector in the schools to lock up children’s phones or smart devices, we somehow have the funding for that or to even entertain that. But yet we can’t afford metal detectors in our schools to ensure guns aren’t brought through the doors…. A waste of resources and time. I for one will be pulling my child and going to private if they try to pull this crap.
Sad that we can’t say no phones at school.
Myself they should not bring phones to school period. They have phones in the office if a parent is needed. And this would eliminate any phone contact till they get home our if they drive leave them in there car. Phones are not needed to learn. Books are.
Will the Teachers also be required to “lock up” Their Phones?
3/4 of million for pouches
First of all where is this money coming from to buy these things? Second, it’s called parenting….teach your kids responsibilities. If they get took up for having it out in class the parent has to come and get it back. Sooner or later said parent will get tired of having to come get phone and then maybe they will be a parent and punish the child. That is what is wrong with these kids today….they are not being taught there is a conquence to not following the rules. Third…after what has went on this pass week…kids should be allowed their phones. The same people complaining about phones in class will be the same ones saying it’s the school fault I didn’t get to hear from my child if something were to happen. and finally if students have to put their phones in a pouch the teachers should too. Teach by example.
I do hope that Escambia County Fl. will not do this waste of money. If you have money for this stupid Ideal , Pay the teachers what they are worth
I agree with MinBratt it is a simple fix but they have to make thing harder than has to be I never had a cell phone when I was in school
I can remember getting through a class without getting caught chewing bubble gum. Times are definitely different.
My first reaction to this is where is the money coming from to pay for it. All we hear is “we don’t have the funds for….” just about everything in our district. We can’t pay the teachers what they deserve. We don’t have the funds for adequate supplies. We don’t have the funds for adequate security measures. But miraculously, we’ll be able to have funds to purchase enough YONDR pouch for every student as well as placing the magnets to activate and deactivate the devices. While I do agree that cell phones can be a distraction and should not be out in class, I don’t believe in forceful compliance either. My kids have been taught appropriate phone usage and know they are not allowed to have phones on while at school. So why should my kids be punished for other kids actions? Maybe the answer should be: 1st warning, 1 opportunity at forgiveness and correct the behavior. 2nd warning, sent to the office and issued a YONDR pouch to use the rest of the year. I just feel it is a waste of funds to force on every student. In the event of an emergency, I want my children to be able to contact me personally. ECSD call outs are not performed in a timely manner and are efficient. Already, I don’t receive a call until 5pm when my kid is marked absent for the day.
Maybe we should spend those funds on additional safety measures to protect our children!
It’s a scary world we are living in!
The fact that students can use their phones during class is moronic.
This is so needed for E.C.S.D. The teachers have enough to deal with disrupting students, planning, grading, collecting cell phones before class starts and just teaching. They would be grateful for the for the Younder. It would sure help with students when it comes to learning. They would not have that phone to pay attention to instead of their teacher. Please Escambia County School Board approve for the Younder to be purchased. Thanks for all you do. Thank you,Mr. Leonard for going to learn more about the Younder. I never knew it even existed.
Instead of spending more of our tax dollars on that gadget when you can punish the students for breaking a rule that states absolutely no cell phones. Suspension, work detail, or maybe a good ol paddling. Spending tax dollars on stupidity is absurd.
Cell phones are quite the convenience, and in some cases they are life savers. But at school, they have no place or use. Hundreds of thousands of people – including me – survived school before such technology even existed. There is no reason students cannot or will not survive without it now. Maybe grades and behavior will even improve with less distractions. I think this is one of the best decisions the Board has made in a long time. Hopefully the EsCoFla Board will see the benefits and follow suit.
This superintendent is better than the loser ( nice term ) we were spoon fed before . Instead of making videos with clowns that were against the laws of this state then lying about it we have someone in the field . Hopefully he and others like the sheriff can get together and stop this gun violence . The schools are a good starting point . Good luck .
Long needed
Sounds like a complicated and expensive solution to a simple problem. Why not just ban cell phones in school?