In Maryland, the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) established a union cellphone committee composed of a diverse cross-section of members—including classroom teachers, education support professionals, and specialized staff who represent a range of racial and cultural identities)—to advocate for a district policy, which passed, addressing student personal device use in schools.
The committee led union efforts to understand the issue and concerns of MCEA members; leverage union leadership, such as elected faculty representatives, building representatives, and professional development staff; engage members for feedback through ongoing dialogue; and create a base of member support to draft and pass the MCEA resolution Implementing a Phased Transition to a MCPS Environment Free of Cellphones and Other Personal Mobile Devices.
The resolution states the union’s resolve in favor of restrictions on student use of personal devices by grade band (elementary, middle, high school), enforcement and consequences, exceptions for use, implementation timeline, engagement of and communication with the school community, professional development, and monitoring and evaluation in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).
The committee advocated for the MCEA resolution to influence the MCPS policy. Since the passage of the district policy, MCEA continues to be a vocal and visible presence as the policy is updated and implemented throughout the district.
MCEA shared the following recommendations for affiliates to support advocacy efforts:
- Gain the support of the affiliate president.
- Create an affiliate committee.
- Understand the bureaucracy of the union and the school district.
- Research the issue and be prepared to answer member questions and concerns.
- Listen to and work with affiliate members to help craft the union’s position.
- Prepare for policy implementation that supports school-level planning.
- Be ready to mobilize.
- Be transparent.
- Communicate with union members, union leaders, and school district administration.
- Maintain a strong union presence throughout the policy development and implementation processes.
