Harwood Students and Staff Reflect on a Phone-Free School Year
- lizaearle
- 12 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The Duxbury school was one of the first in Vermont to restrict the use of cellphones during the day. Now, lawmakers are poised to impose a statewide ban.
By Alison Novak
May 28, 2025
Social studies teacher Phil Stetson was initially skeptical last year when Harwood Union Middle and High School announced that students could no longer use cellphones during the day.
He'd seen how addicted they were to their phones and the anxiety-producing power struggles the devices created between students and teachers. But Stetson believed the devices were an essential part of modern life and that teaching young people to use them responsibly was better than banning them.
Now, as the first phone-free school year comes to an end, he's a convert.
More of the school's 585 students are making eye contact and saying "hi" in the hallways. They're chatting in the cafeteria and playing card games in the senior lounge. They're more engaged in academic work. And the power struggles between teachers and students have all but disappeared.
"It's been an amazing change," Stetson said.
He's not alone in his enthusiasm. Seven Days interviewed multiple Harwood teachers and students who expressed satisfaction, and even relief, with the bell-to-bell phone ban.
Social studies teacher Adam Sargent said it's transformed school culture in the most profound way he's seen in his 21 years as an educator. English teacher Eve Berinati said it's improved her relationships with students. And Harwood senior Lincoln Dice said going phone-free has provided more opportunities to connect with friends as their high school careers wind down.
"I feel like more memories are being made because of the face-to-face interactions," he said.
(Read the rest of the GREAT Seven Days article here...)
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