Parents struggle with their teenager’s phone use, now schools can do something more proactive about it.
California’s Phone-Free School Act (AB 3216)—signed in 2024—requires every school district, charter school, and county office of education to adopt a policy that limits or prohibits student smartphone use during the school day no later than July 1, 2026.
The law leaves details to local agencies (what’s restricted, enforcement, and specific exceptions), but the statewide expectation is a consistent policy to reduce distraction and support student learning/well-being.
It also requires the policy to be reviewed/updated periodically (every five years). See the KTLA story HERE.
-S.P. Moore
California gets a bad rap for school problems and violence threats, though the issue is shared from coast to coast. Connecticut teachers and education advocates report a sharp rise in student aggression, describing escalating verbal threats, physical altercations, and emotional outbursts as an urgent school safety issue. (Wellmore) In October 2025, incidents were published by Wellmore Behavioral Health.
The post cites Connecticut State Department of Education data showing a 44% increase in physical and verbal confrontations in 2023–24, totaling 30,000+ incidents statewide (about 166 per school day) and notes that nearly 7% of students faced suspension or expulsion. (Wellmore)
Educators attribute the trend to factors such as lingering pandemic effects, emotional dysregulation, and technology influence, with reports of classroom evacuations and increased stress and burnout. (Wellmore)
The article highlights proposed solutions focused on school climate and mental health supports, noting that some districts’ cell phone restrictions have coincided with fewer fights and emphasizing collaboration among schools, families, and community partners. (Wellmore)
See the online publication HERE.
Staying alert and vigilant in all settings, including places of worship are a byproduct of society today, though living in fear is not the answer.
A Fox News report cites a Family Research Council study that tracked 415 “hostile acts” against 383 U.S. churches across 43 states in 2024, calling it part of a growing trend of hostility toward churches. (Fox News)
The study says the 2024 total was down from 485 in 2023, but still more than double 2022, and it notes the true number may be higher because it relies on publicly reported data. (Fox News)
It reports vandalism as the most common incident (284), followed by arson (55), gun-related incidents (28), and bomb threats (14), with other assaults/threats/disruptions also included. (Fox News)
The story highlights concerns from the report’s authors about safety and the climate for religious institutions, while emphasizing that the dataset reflects incidents captured in public sources. (Fox News)
See the Fox Michigan story HERE.