Our students deserve phone-free schools for better focus and richer social development. Let’s join school districts throughout the country implementing phone-free policies for positive outcomes.

“Children are exposed to harmful content on social media, ranging from violent and sexual content, to bullying and harassment. And for too many children, social media use is compromising their sleep and valuable in-person time with family and friends. We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis – one that we must urgently address.” 

—U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy

What we want: a policy that requires kids to be separated from their phones for the entirety of the school day.

• Smartphones decimate attention, learning, and inclusion.
• A child whose phone is buzzing with alerts from texts and social media during class is a child who is not paying attention in class.
• A child who needs to keep up with the micro-dramas that emerge online each day is a child who will not be talking with friends between classes, or at lunch.
• Smartphones are bringing in more classroom conflicts, teacher burnout, and cyberbullying.
• Policies that ask kids to keep their phones in their backpacks are failing—just the presence of a smartphone undercuts focus.

We, the undersigned parents, caregivers, educators and others with a stake in the health and future of kids in PETALUMA SCHOOLS, petition the Board of Education and other relevant decision makers to implement a phone-free policy in all schools, from elementary through high school, which mandates students stow away phones, smartwatches, and any other personal devices that can send or receive texts during the entire school day to free up their attention for their friends and teachers.

Exceptions can be made as directed in a policy for students who need their phone accessible for medical and health reasons.

We also ask the Board to encourage more independence-building and play-rich activities at all schools, particularly in elementary and middle school.