Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/ WBZ NewsRadio
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Framingham High School started enforcing its cell phone policy like never before at the start of this school year and administrators say they are already noticing a difference.
Every time students walk into a classroom, they must either stash their cell phones inside their backpacks or place them in a holder on the wall.
"During instructional time, in the classroom, the expectation is that those phones are not visible, not charging, not on your desk, not on your person, but they are truly away," Principal Mark Albright said.
Albright is in his first full year as the school's head after spending 17 years as a vice principal.
He said the policy has been in place for "some time," but teachers did not regularly enforce it in years past.
"Not every teacher was doing it the same way, not every teacher was doing it consistently," Albright said.
Read More: Brockton High School Is Banning Student Cell-Phone Usage During The Day
Several schools across the state, including in Marlborough and Brockton, took steps to crack down on cell phone use at the start of this school year.
In a Pew Research survey published in April, 72 percent of high school teachers said students being distracted by cell phones was a "major problem."
But Albright said his school's enforcement of its cell phone policy is already paying off because students are learning how to live without being tethered to their devices all day.
He also said some teachers at the high school have reported being ahead of schedule in their curriculums.
"I feel like it's a good start," Albright said. "I feel like we can sustain it, there's value in it and, if we're consistent, at the end of the day it's going to be better for everybody."
WBZ NewsRadio's Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App | TikTok