Oregon School Cell Phone Ban: 'Engaged Students, Joyful Teachers'

Source: Hacker News

There was plenty of uncertainty and debate about the effectiveness of a cell phone ban decreed by executive order last summer.

But at least in Estacada, the policy has earned two thumbs up, including approval from a “grumpy old teacher.”

Jeff Mellema is a language arts teacher at Estacada High School. He has worked in the building for 24 years, and he said the new policy that prohibits students from using their phones during the day has been a breath of fresh air.

“There is so much better discourse in my classroom, be it personal or academic,” Mellema said. “Students can’t avoid those conversations anymore with their phones.”

“This ban has brought joy back to this old, grumpy teacher,” he added with a smile.

That is the kind of feedback Gov. Tina Kotek was hoping for as she visited Estacada High School on Wednesday afternoon, March 18. Her goal was to visit classrooms, speak with administrators, and meet with students one-on-one to hear about the effectiveness of her phone policy.

“I knew when I put out the order, not everyone would love it from day one,” Gov. Kotek said. “I appreciate all the feedback today.”

“You have an amazing school. Go Rangers,” she added with a smile.

For years, educators had reported that cell phones were disruptive in classrooms and hindered effective teaching. Research supported those anecdotal claims, showing that phones undermine students’ ability to focus, even when they are just sitting on the desk, unused.

So the governor issued her executive order prohibiting cell phone use by students during the school day in Oregon’s K-12 public schools. To help implement the ban, her office worked with the Oregon Department of Education to share model policies for schools that already have prohibitions in place, as well as guidance on implementation flexibility.

“We are grateful to have Governor Kotek here today to see with her own eyes the positive effect this has had,” said Estacada Superintendent Ryan Carpenter. “We can now demand this expectation for our students’ well-being and success.”

Since that order was issued, every single public school district in Oregon is in compliance with the band.

“The goal is for every student to have the best opportunity to be successful,” Kotek said. “They need to know how to talk to people, learn, and go out into the world.”

Visiting Estacada

The governor visited two classrooms during her trip to Estacada High — Mr. Schaenman’s history class and Mrs. Hannet’s algebra class. Gov. Kotek assured the kids that she still uses algebra in her day-to-day life, no matter how unlikely that may seem to the youngsters.

In the classrooms, she was able to take a straw poll around the cell phone ban and then get specific, direct feedback from the kids.

Overall, it was positive. The Rangers said they noticed changes in how they interact with teachers and peers. They don’t feel that “siren’s song” tug of their phones as often, and the changes are bleeding into everyday life as well — think less reminders to put phones away during family dinners. Phones also led to issues around bullying and online toxicity during the school day.

There are some hiccups. The students spoke about difficulties in tracking busy schedules. Many athletes relied on their phones for practice times and locations. Some advanced placement kids said the overzealous programs monitoring school laptops blocked access to needed resources for studying/researching schoolwork. There is even a strange quirk with school-provided tech that prevents them from accessing their calculators.

“Maybe the filters are too strong right now,” Gov. Kotek said. “That is why we are working with the districts to best implement the policy.”

The kids also weighed in on the debate around the extent of the ban. The two options bandied in Salem were a “bell-to-bell” policy or just inside classrooms. The latter would allow kids to use their phones during passing period and lunch. Several advocated for that change.

That mirrored the debate within the Oregon legislature. It ultimately led to a stalemate and the need for Gov. Kotek’s executive ruling.

“When you make a decision like this, you don’t know how it will ultimately work,” Kotek told the students. “I appreciate you adapting to the situation and making it work for you.”

While things could change in the future, the governor is pleased with the early results. The phone ban is here to stay.

Estacada spotlight

Estacada School District is reveling in its status of public school “Golden Child.”

The visit from the governor is the latest feather in the cap of the rural, small district. In 2025, Estacada High had a 92.5% graduation rate. That is a stunning turnaround from a record-low of 38.5% in 2015. The district credits policies aimed at retaining talented teachers and empowering students to take a more active role in their learning.

“We are proud of these results,” Carpenter said. “This is a reflection and reward for a ton of hard work. This district literally changed its stars to be seen as a true academic powerhouse in Oregon.”

That mindset continues with the cell phone ban. Like many others, Estacada had a version of this in place before the official edict. But with the governor’s push, it empowered administrators and teachers to learn fully embrace the ban.

“Any policy is only as good as the teachers who enforce it,” Carpenter said.

In crafting its policy, Estacada incorporated feedback from parents. That led to some key decisions around the cell phone ban. Rather than use pouches or lockers, students are allowed to keep their phones safely stored in their backpacks. That was for two reasons — it allows students to contact loved ones during emergencies, and many parents use phone trackers to keep tabs on their kids.

The district has also leaned on direct, immediate communication. The flow of information

reaches parents directly, avoiding some of the miscommunication that occurred in the past.

“Even I’m surprised by the impact this has had,” Kotek said. “I’m thankful for the educators who took up the charge when I said we’ve got to do this.”

“We can model what Estacada is doing for other districts across the state,” she added.