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Dear San Diego Unified Family,
Thank you for helping make the start of the 2024-25 school year a great success. From Universal Transitional Kindergarten through high school, we saw joyous reunions, students and staff in new leadership roles, and modern school facilities for learning and play.
Today, I am reaching out to address growing discussions about the negative social-emotional and physical effects of excessive social media and smartphone use among youth and teens, and in anticipation of new state guidance on this issue.
San Diego Unified’s cell phone policy prohibits personal cell phone use in class and during the school day, with some exceptions related to lessons and other circumstances that require adult supervision. High school students are permitted to use cellphones during their lunch period.
Please take this opportunity to talk to your children about social media and cellphone use, and review San Diego Unified’s cell phone policy, which is also included in the Facts for Parents handbook distributed to all families at the start of every school year.
When our students are at school, we want them to be focused on their studies and enrichment activities, engaged with their friends and educators, and above all, happy and healthy.
San Diego Unified is preparing to launch an initiative this school year to raise awareness about the risks associated with social media use among children and teens, under a resolution recently approved by the Board of Education. The district will issue regular notifications to students, families and educators, offering resources and information about responsible social media practices, strategies to help curb screen time, and research on the effects of social media use among children and teens.
We look forward to your continued partnership as we collaborate to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of our students.
In the spirit of Ubuntu, I am because we are.
Dr. Lamont A. Jackson
Superintendent of Public Education