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Parents and educators urge Pittsburgh Public Schools to adopt bell-to-bell cell phone ban
Summary
At a Dec. 15 public hearing, parents, teachers and community groups urged the Pittsburgh Public Schools to adopt policy 02/16 instituting a districtwide "bell‑to‑bell" ban on personal cell phones, citing research on distraction, equity concerns, and aligning district policy with pending state legislation.
At the Pittsburgh Public Schools public hearing on Dec. 15, 2025, a succession of parents, educators and community advocates urged the board to adopt a districtwide “bell‑to‑bell” ban on personal cell phones during the school day.
Sarah Fishbein, a parent of two Pittsburgh Public Schools students, told the board phones are “distracting and they’re addictive,” and said a ban is about “committing to a quality of education for all kids” and protecting students who have the least family supports. “If something were to happen in any of our schools, I would want my children listening and paying attention to the educators,” Fishbein said.
Several speakers linked the local proposal to state action. Judith Adelson, who said she submitted edits on…
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