I am writing to address the numerous fallacies presented in the recent guest opinion article, “Instead of banning phones, BVSD should prepare students for a modern world.” As a teacher with six years of experience — primarily in high school English — I find the arguments presented in the article to be flawed and disconnected from the realities of classroom teaching.

The title itself exemplifies a red herring, suggesting a false causal link that banning phones during the school day would somehow leave students unprepared for the challenges of the modern world. This oversimplification undermines a nuanced discussion about technology’s role in education.

To their credit, the writers correctly note that modern industries demand digital literacy and technology integration, citing examples such as social media communication, advertising, nonprofit work and innovation. However, based on my extensive experience teaching in a high school without an enforced cell phone policy, I can confidently assert that students do not engage in meaningful “real-world preparation” on their phones during class. Instead, they are often distracted by social media, such as scrolling through Instagram, sending frivolous Snapchats, or texting friends in other classes.

Another fundamental flaw in their argument is the assumption that prohibiting phones during school hours hinders students’ ability to adapt to a technology-integrated world. Students have ample time — roughly six hours after school — to access their phones and engage in technology-driven activities. The idea that a school’s phone policy alone determines their preparedness for the modern world is a false dilemma. Suggesting that students must either have unrestricted phone use at school or risk being unprepared is an oversimplification that fails to consider their opportunities for learning outside the classroom. And let’s be real, or take a poll if you think I am wrong: 99% of high school students are mindlessly using their phones for activities that, if anything, hinder their preparedness for the real world.

In my experience, allowing unrestricted phone use in class diminishes the learning environment. It not only distracts students from engaging with the material but also lowers the overall expectations for academic discipline. In professional settings, using a phone during a meeting instead of paying attention is considered unprofessional and counterproductive — skills we should be instilling in students during their formative years.

The authors also introduce a highly sensitive and misaligned argument regarding school shootings, claiming that banning phones could lead to “irreversible trauma.” While the topic of school shootings warrants serious discussion, the notion that phone access during such incidents would mitigate trauma is tenuous at best. The trauma of these tragedies stems from the events themselves, not from a lack of phone access.

By the end of the last school year, I had become so disillusioned with the challenges of managing cell phone use that I transitioned to a school with a strictly enforced no-phone policy. This change revitalized my passion for teaching. It fostered a classroom culture centered on learning, self-discipline and collaboration, free from the constant distractions of phones. In an environment where no one is on their phone, students experience less pressure to follow suit, creating a more focused and supportive atmosphere.

The claim that BVSD’s new cell phone policy aims to “shift the culture of the world” is a straw man argument that distorts the policy’s true intent. BVSD is not attempting to transform global culture but rather to create a classroom culture that prioritizes learning, self-discipline and academic engagement. The suggestion that a phone ban jeopardizes students’ future readiness is a slippery slope fallacy that does not hold up under scrutiny.

Ultimately, BVSD’s policy reflects a commitment to reestablishing classrooms as places of learning and growth, not spaces where teachers are reduced to managing distractions. By limiting cell phone use, BVSD is fostering a culture where students can develop the focus, discipline and work ethic necessary to succeed in the real world.

Mary Johnston lives in Boulder.