Admin moves towards more restrictions on technology

Source Domain: thecampanile.org

Vice Principal Michael Stieren sent an email informing students and parents on May 4 of an update to the school’s phone ban policy, which now extends to smartwatches, earbuds, smartglasses and other wearable tech unless otherwise directed by a teacher.

The move is an expansion of the “Off and Away During Instructional Time” policy, which required teachers to collect phones at the beginning of each class in a designated area. This policy was implemented at the start of the 2025-2026 school year in compliance with the Phone-Free School Act, which requires California school districts to adopt policies that limit or prohibit student smartphone use on campus.

“Ultimately there is a delicate balance to maintain between the responsible use of technology and the importance of human interaction and genuine learning,” Stieren wrote.. “We are proud of how our students have adapted to these changes so far.”

Stieren, who drafted the policy, said these changes were implemented to limit distraction caused by technology other than phones.

Story continues below advertisement

“The idea of just telling you to put away your phone doesn’t necessarily do the thing that the law intends, which is to limit the distractions that you may be engaged in during instructional time,” Stieren said.

Math Department Instructional Lead Randolph Mercado said after meeting with the Instructional Leads from each department, the math department met and discussed the technology ban.

“We got the same information, just a little bit beforehand, so we knew about the policy as you guys were learning about it, too,” Mercado said. “Our greatest goal is to make sure that we can have a cohesive class, right? (We want a) cohesive learning environment that is limited in things that get in the way.”

Some teachers have been pushing for increased regulations on in-class technology usage. Psychology teacher Christopher Farina said he first heard about the new…

Source