🛝 40 States Banned Phones. Only Two Got It Right.

Welcome to Playground Post, a bi-weekly newsletter that keeps education innovators ahead of what's next.

This week's reality check: Forty states have passed phone-free school laws, but a new report card shows almost none are strict enough to matter. Meanwhile, adults overwhelmingly want age verification for social media and AI, but don't trust anyone to build it.

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💎 Data Gem

In Texas, special education enrollment increased by 72% over seven years, with dyslexia diagnoses up 636%, according to the Texas Education Agency's 2025 annual report.

40 States Passed Phone Bans. A New Report Says Almost None Work.

Forty states now have legislation limiting students' phone use in schools. A new Phone-Free Schools State Report Card graded every one of them.

Only two got an "A."

North Dakota and Rhode Island earned top marks for requiring devices in inaccessible locations for the entire school day. No pings in pockets. No quick checks at lunch.

Seventeen states plus D.C. got a "B" for bell-to-bell bans that keep phones accessible. That distinction is very important - research shows teacher retention improves when phones are truly out of reach.

"We know phones are addictive and it's hard for adults, let alone kids, to resist the ping in their pocket," said Kim Whitman, lead researcher on the report.

Students are split. 

Pew Research Center data shows 41% of teens support classroom-only bans, but only 17% favor all-day restrictions.

Parents' biggest objection: what about emergencies? The National Association of School Resource Officers pushes back. Their research says phones during emergencies are more dangerous: a chirping phone may alert a shooter, and parents rushing to the school impede law enforcement.

Whitman says broad exceptions erode enforcement: "If all teachers can decide when kids can use their phones for educational purposes, it erodes the policy."

The Distraction-Free Schools Policy Project is pushing "Safe School Technology" legislation beyond personal devices: no screens in elementary schools, no school-issued device take-home for middle schoolers, and no generative AI across all grade levels.

"A lot of the issues with personal devices can move to the district-issued devices," Whitman said. "Removing phones is the first step."

The compliance market is expanding fast. 

With 40 states legislating and report cards now grading implementation, demand is growing for secure storage systems, enforcement monitoring tools, and alternative engagement for the moments students lose their primary social connection. The push to regulate school-issued devices signals an even larger market ahead.

Trauma-Informed Schools Cut Violence. Funding Them Is the Hard Part.

At W.D. Kelley School in North Philadelphia, a "reflection room" lets students in conflict mediate, tired teachers rest, and kids throw beanbags at a target to let off steam.

It's part of PHASeS (Philadelphia Healthy and Safe Schools), a trauma-informed initiative run by Temple University across five elementary campuses. Most classrooms have a "calming corner." 

Each building has a dedicated room staffed by a trained trauma specialist.

Early evaluation results: more than 75% of educators said the program improved classroom learning. 

85% said it improved their own well-being. Fights, harassment, and disorderly conduct dropped on two of three campuses studied.

98% of Kelley's student body has never been suspended. A substantial improvement from a decade ago.

"That's why we don't have those fights. That's why the hallways are quiet," said Principal Crystal Edwards.

More than one in five Philadelphia residents live below the poverty line. There were 979 shootings citywide in 2025. Staff extended breakfast by two hours so late-arriving students wouldn't be hungry during class.

Pedro Noguera, dean of USC's Rossier School of Education, has watched trauma-informed approaches gain momentum. 

But he's noticed where money goes instead.

"We have schools that are preparing for school shootings, which can itself traumatize children," Noguera said. "We're preparing ourselves for violence, rather than finding ways to reduce the likelihood of violence."

The program works. Funding it is the problem. 

PHASeS relies on Temple funds, district money, state grants, and federal DOJ dollars. Staffing fluctuates every budget cycle.

Program director Mary Beth Hays: "We're in the middle of a conversation that shouldn't be interrupted by resources or lack of funds."

The real opportunity is in sustainability. Scalable training platforms that don't depend on university partnerships or grant cycles. And the physical infrastructure: calming room kits, sensory tools, and space design systems for districts shifting from punitive to restorative discipline.

6 in 10 Adults Want Age Verification. Nobody Agrees on How.

A new report from Common Sense Media found that 6 in 10 adults want age verification for social media and gaming. 

More than half want it for AI chatbots too.

States are listening - California banned "addictive feeds" for minors. New York requires mental health warning labels on social media. The FTC is investigating chatbot companies' COPPA compliance.

But here's the paradox: adults want the restrictions, and they don't trust anyone to implement them.

29% said verification systems are too easy for kids to bypass. Over a third cited privacy and data security as their top concern about the systems themselves.

"Tech companies without oversight and without direction from policymakers are not highly incentivized to engage and build age-assurance policies," said Supreet Mann, director of research at Common Sense Media.

Schools sit in the middle. Platforms are adding age gates. States are adding mandates. 

Educators need curricula to help students navigate all of it.

The gap between demand and capability is where the opportunity lives. Verification technology that satisfies both privacy and effectiveness doesn't exist yet. Neither do digital literacy curricula for a world of age-gated platforms. And for any ed-tech company serving minors, building privacy compliance into product architecture now beats retrofitting it later.

⚡️More Quick Hits

This week in education:

• Indiana tries again to restrict social media for minors — New legislation backed by parents who lost a child aims to limit teen access to platforms

• Financial troubles at multiple Chicago charter schools — Several charter networks face mounting problems, raising questions about oversight and sustainability

• Education Department officials tout FAFSA progress — After a rocky rollout, officials point to rising completion rates as evidence the simplified form is working

• New federal guidance embraces team-based staffing — Education Department encourages districts to rethink one-teacher-per-classroom models

To stay up-to-date on all things education innovation, visit us at playgroundpost.com.