Harrisburg, PA, October 22, 2026—Teach Plus Pennsylvania today issued the following statement in response to the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s passage of a statewide bell-to-bell ban on cell phones in schools.
“Prohiting cell phone use in our schools is commonsense,” said Laura Boyce, Teach Plus Pennsylvania Executive Director. “While policymakers disagree on many issues in education, it’s encouraging to see overwhelming bipartisan support for a simple solution to a real problem that was threatening student achievement and well-being. Getting phones out of our classrooms will help remove the distraction of devices and social media, allowing students to learn and teachers to teach. It will improve focus for everyone in our schools and help students make stronger connections with their peers and their teachers.”
“As a high school educator, I was thrilled to hear the news about the cell phone bill. Our students deserve the opportunity to be fully engaged in the classroom, and our teachers deserve to teach without the constant distraction of phones. This policy prioritizes connection and student well-being, which are crucial to the learning environment,” said Abigail Turley, instructional coach at Bayard Rustin High School in West Chester and 2026-2027 Teach Plus Pennsylvania Policy Fellow.
“The district I teach in preemptively chose to ban cell phones during the school day this year. Since placing the ban, we have seen significant increases in student engagement and student grades, especially at the secondary level. There has been renewed student interest in school clubs, sports and in building relationships with peers. The results so far are incredibly positive, and many teachers feel invigorated by the higher levels of student participation in classrooms,” said Brandy Brant, social studies teacher and department chair at Susquehanna Township High School in Harrisburg and 2026-2027 Teach Plus Pennsylvania Policy Fellow.
Teach Plus PA supported this legislation in both chambers based on a consensus among teachers that cell phones were having increasingly negative effects on classroom environments. Teach Plus PA Policy Fellows and staff met with bill sponsors and staff to provide input into the legislation, submitted testimony, and shared perspectives with lawmakers and the administration.
Teach Plus
The mission of Teach Plus is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. In pursuing our mission, Teach Plus is guided by our Student Opportunity Mandate: To act boldly and create the conditions where every student can imagine their future—and experience an education that delivers the opportunity to realize it. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning for students. www.teachplus.org/pa/
