HS Teachers - How do you keep your students off their phones?

My current managers tell us that we have to let the students have their phones "on their person AT ALL TIMES" (no emphasis added). So ... I don't do anything to manage it any more. I just let them do whatever they want with their phones. Nevermind that district policy allows us to confiscate them for the day.

Until these new managers, I had great success with this policy: Phones in backpacks, backpacks lined up along the wall for the duration of class, take out only what you need, end of it. It worked great. Everyone complimented me on how rare it was to see a cell phone in my room -- even students. But our new discipline people don't want to deal with phones (or discipline) at all, so ... the school's policy is total tolerance. And a cookie for not having it out (ah, PBIS).

/r/Teachers Thread