Sign on as a coalition member.

Purpose

The Unplug. Plug In. Coalition is focused on advancing strong, consistent districtwide, bell-to-bell, away-all-day phone-free policies for K–12 schools that help students learn, connect, and thrive without the constant distraction of personal devices during the school day.

About the Coalition

The Unplug. Plug In. Coalition brings together organizations, educators, parents, health professionals, youth advocates, and community leaders who believe students deserve focused, connected, and distraction-free learning environments.

We support bell-to-bell phone-free school policies that limit student access to personal phones and personal smart devices throughout the school day, including during instructional time, passing periods, lunch, and other non-emergency school activities.

We recognize that schools across the country are grappling with the growing impact of smartphones and social media on student attention, learning, mental health, behavior, and social development. Too many classrooms are competing against devices intentionally designed to capture and hold students' attention.

Bell-to-bell phone-free policies are a practical, evidence-informed response that can help strengthen academic engagement, improve school culture, reduce distraction, encourage face-to-face interaction, and support student well-being.

As coalition members, we support policies and practices that help schools create environments where students are more connected to learning, peers, teachers, and their communities than to their phones during the school day.

Statement of Shared Principles

Organizations signing onto the Unplug. Plug In. Coalition affirm the following principles:

1. Students deserve focused learning environments. Students learn best when classrooms are free from constant digital distraction and interruption.
2. Schools should establish clear, consistent, districtwide expectations around phone use. Policies are most effective when they are simple, consistently enforced across schools and classrooms, and designed to support learning and student well-being. Districtwide standards help eliminate confusion, reduce uneven enforcement, and create shared expectations for students, families, teachers, and administrators.
3. Bell-to-bell policies create stronger school cultures. Reducing phone access during the school day can improve student engagement, strengthen peer interaction, reduce social pressures and online conflict during school hours, and support healthier school environments.
4. Parents, educators, and students all benefit from consistent standards. Clear expectations reduce conflict and ambiguity for students, families, teachers, and school administrators alike.
5. Students deserve opportunities to connect beyond screens during the school day. Phone-free environments encourage face-to-face communication, relationship-building, physical activity, and deeper engagement in school communities.
6. Strong school policies should include reasonable accommodations and emergency protocols. Schools should maintain practical processes for student health needs, accessibility accommodations, and emergency family communication.

Coalition Policy Priorities

While coalition members may not endorse every specific policy proposal, members generally support advancing policies and initiatives such as:

• Districtwide, bell-to-bell, away-all-day phone-free policies for K–12 schools
• Consistent implementation and enforcement standards
• Policies that minimize classroom distraction and instructional disruption
• School environments that prioritize student focus and engagement
• Increased support and resources for districts implementing phone-free policies
• Family and community education about healthy technology habits
• Research and evidence-based policymaking related to student phone use and learning outcomes
• Student mental health and well-being initiatives connected to healthy technology use
• Opportunities for students to build stronger in-person social connections during the school day

Vision

We envision schools where students are fully present in their learning environments, engaged in classrooms, connected with peers and teachers, and free from the constant pull of phones and social media during the school day.

The Unplug. Plug In. Coalition exists to help schools, families, and communities create healthier, more focused, and more connected educational environments for young people.