Cell phones have become such a normal part of daily life that most of us barely notice their ubiquity. That is, unless you’re a teacher battling cell phone use in school.

Classrooms and cell phones are a bad combo, but with more than half of U.S. kids getting their own phone by age 12, it’s definitely an issue. Many schools (and even entire states) are instituting phone bans, including one Kansas middle school whose three-year experiment had its principal singing the ban’s praises.

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From better grades and attendance to a simple return ‘hello’

McPherson Middle School in Kansas implemented a policy requiring students to keep their cell phones in their lockers for the entire school day.

Inge Esping, McPherson’s principal (and the 2025 Kansas Middle Level Principal of the Year), told EdWeek that the results after three years were “pretty wild.” Chronic absenteeism dropped from 39% to 11%, and school suspensions fell by 70%. But interactions with students really stood out for Esping.

“Now, when I say hello to students,” she said, “they’re more likely than before to say ‘hello’ in return.”

Tony Cattani, principal of........

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