Massachusetts Takes Action

The Massachusetts Senate has already passed a bill supporting bell-to-bell phone-free schools. Unfortunately, the Senate version includes unnecessary exceptions that undermine the bill's purpose. The House has not introduced its bill yet, so we still have time to make a difference.

Your voice is needed. Lawmakers need to hear directly from parents, educators, and community members that the only bell-to-bell exceptions should be for IEPs, 504s, and medical necessity, and only when no other solution is available. This is what social psychologist Jonathan Haidt recommends and what Massachusetts students deserve.

We need legislators to understand that geofencing and signal-blocking technologies—which merely disable devices within a certain area—are not the right solution. These approaches still allow students to keep their phones nearby, such as in backpacks. Research shows that even the mere presence of a phone, powered off or out of sight, reduces attention, working memory, and cognitive performance. Students deserve the full benefit of a genuine six- to seven-hour break from the pull of their phones.

Please call the chairs of the Joint Committee on Education (as often as you feel comfortable this week) and request:

"A clean, bell-to-bell phone-free school bill with exceptions only for IEPs, 504s, and medical necessity, and NO exception for geofencing or signal-blocking technology”

Senate Chair Jason Lewis: (617) 722-1206
House Chair Ken Gordon: (617) 722-2070, press 1

Your help to ensure the best for Massachusetts students is much appreciated.