Cellphone bans in class are going statewide

Katie Castellani

09/12/2025

DIALING IT BACK: Maribeth Calabro, president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, says the policy at Nathaniel Greene Middle School in Providence to severely limit students’ access to cellphones during the day has worked well.  PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

When Nathaniel Greene Middle School in Providence started using special pouches to lock students’ cellphones during the school day, teachers noticed a dramatic change. “The difference was almost immediate and pretty significant,” said Maribeth Calabro, president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals who used to teach at Nathaniel Greene. She noticed

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