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D.C. students head back to school Monday amid new challenges, including a new cellphone ban and a federal surge of law enforcement.
From saving on school supplies to the impact of federal cuts, the WTOP team is studying up on hot-button topics in education across the D.C. region. Follow on air and online in our series, “WTOP Goes Back to School” this August and September.
D.C. students with their first-day jitters head back to school Monday. And the school year comes with challenges including a new cellphone ban and a federal surge of law enforcement.
“What I want to be clear to all of them, is our children deserve and will get a joyful start to their school year,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser, while addressing dozens of teachers amid the federal crackdown that brought hundreds of more federal law enforcement and National Guard members to the streets of D.C.
The surge came after President Donald Trump declared a public emergency two weeks ago.
D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said during a news conference about the influx of police: “It’s business as usual; we have prepared for this moment. We’re ready to receive students, our teachers, our educators, staff, school leaders.”
“We want our students to know that the schoolhouse continues to be the safest place for our young people,” he continued.
Ferebee and the mayor encouraged the tradition of clapping the students back into school.
“Tell them that we’re with them. We want them to have a great school year, and we’re all going to be standing shoulder to shoulder with them,” said Bowser.
As for possible violent incidents on school grounds, Ferebee said “our staff is trained to intervene if there are any altercations.”
“If you look at violent acts among students in schools and DCPS, specifically, we’ve seen a decline in those events that are happening on our campuses,” said Ferebee.
The chancellor also noted that DCPS hopes the new bell-to-bell ban on cellphone usage will lead to fewer incidents of bullying.
That ban on cellphones during the entire school day that was piloted by D.C. middle schools will now spread to every school across DCPS.
“Last two years we’ve had a phone-free environment for our middle schools, we’ve seen great results from that,” said Ferebee.
He said DCPS had conducted surveys and focus groups surrounding that ban.
“Students who said they were resistant at first, but found themselves to be better connected with their peers, and less distracted in the classroom. So, we believe this is going to be a strong approach to ensure that students continue to thrive,” said Ferebee.
While each school may have a different policy on how those phones are stored during the school day, they must be out of sight during class and in the hallways.
Some have raised concerns that if there is a school emergency, should students have access to their phone?
“If there’s an emergency, the last thing we want students to do is to be on their cellphone, right? We want them to be focused on the guidance and directions that they’re receiving from adults in emergency situations,” said Ferebee.
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Luke Lukert
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