Monday, November 30, 2009

Will the School Board encourage cell phone use in high school?

Author:
At-Large representative Tom Reed has been seeking to rework the policy governing cell phones and other devices for many months, and the question finally comes to the full board tonight. He & I share the philosophy that because cell phones in high school can't be prevented they should be regulated and used for educational purposes where possible.

His proposal specifically authorizes High School students to use cell phones, iPods and other personal electronic devices during lunchtime while in the dining area. The administration opposes this change, concerned that it will become increasingly difficult to restrict use outside of lunchtime and that students will be harder to communicate with during lunchtime.

I will propose an additional amendment that Mr. Reed has said he will support, rephrasing the policy to encourage principals to loosen restrictions, but without requiring them to. My amendment would change this:
Unless expressly authorized, students are prohibited from operating pagers, cell phones or other personal communication or electronic devices during school hours, either while on school property, under school control or attending any school function or activity of any elementary, middle, high, academy, alternative, or technical center school.
to this:
Students are permitted to operate pagers, cell phones and other personal communication or electronic devices during school hours when authorized to do so by school personnel. Authorization is required whether on school property, under school control or attending any school function or activity of any elementary, middle, high, academy, alternative or technical center school.
(Item 8.34)

Update 9:46pm: The Board adopted (6-3) the alternative language I proposed for the first paragraph of the policy. (In favor: Stevens, Reed, Guzman, Ohneiser, Marshall, DuPree. Opposed: Geurin, Bergel, Godfrey)

Dr. Guzman then offered an amendment to change the sentence permitting use of electronic devices during lunch time in the lunch area. His amendment was to allow the principals to designate the place to permit use. The amendment passed 4-3-2. In favor were Guzman, Stevens, Reed & Ohneiser. Opposed were Geurin, Godfrey and Marshall. Abstaining were DuPree and Bergel.

And finally, the Board voted 5-4 in favor of Mr. DuPree's table the motion and send it back to the Policy committee, which will meet again in January or February. (In favor: DuPree, Against: Stevens, Reed, Guzman, Ohneiser).
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14 comments:

  1. With ConnectEd the administration can text, call and email students while in school. It is easier to communicate with students electronically than yelling over the din of lunch banter. Where's the creativity you administrative luddites.
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  2. I think that I understand what board Member Reed and you are trying to accomplish but this is like "the nose of the camel under the tent". I am a sub. teacher and and have two teen age grand children. I know that students want to use their cell phones while awake (they may even try it while they are sleeping) but I don't see why they need to use their phone while in school (keep them in their lockers). If there is an emergency there are phones in the office they can use. I think we should keep the policy as it is. "Give them an inch and they will take a foot".

    Tony Fasolo
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  3. Students are already using their cell phones at school - all the time - specifically to text. I think we should just allow it.
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  4. Totally agree w/ myers and renee. reminds me of a famous line, "If we never trust our children, how will they ever learn to be trustworthy?" Too many rules is almost as bad as, and in some cases far worse than, overindulging.
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  5. I've been an engineer, a teacher, a sub and a parent of two LCPS students. Teachers work harder than any professionals I know. Try to teach a class full of distracted kids after you've been up past midnight for days working on lesson plans FOR THEM and see how much sympathy you have for the "too many rules" point of view. Yes, they use their phones constantly, regardless of the rules. Since when does the misbehaving majority rule? What's wrong with schools having enough spine to hold students to behavior standards that respect their teachers' efforts? How will kids learn to respect and appreciate the people who are trying to help them learn and grow if they're never expected to do so? Cell phones are another distraction that allows them to constantly ignore the education they're supposed to be receiving. They don't need more distractions...they need to learn how to focus. ANY teacher will tell you that's their biggest challenge...keeping students focused. Do we just keep loosening the rules whenever it seems too hard to hold students to meaningful standards?
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  6. what next, allowing them to use facebook while in class too?? For what reason would they need to use their phone in school? Who are they calling, their friends are IN SCHOOL with them- whatever happened to just talking? And what about test taking? If they (phones) are not allowed in the SAT test,(and there are clear instructions regarding this) they should not be allowed in class. I suppose that using the logic that kids have "too many rules" should then allow them to have as many friends in the car as they want and to text and talk while driving. Distraction is distraction-- and having a kid use their phone while my kid is trying to learn is simply wrong.
    cami
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  7. Allowing/encouraging cell phone use in school is a bad idea. Students are (or should be) in school for one reason, to learn. Cell phones won't help them learn. Students are so connected now that this is the only time that they have a break from it.

    There are also issues that come with phones and the phone-camera such as cheating with photos or text messages, inappropriate photos being taken etc. Also, if the kids have cell phones, something that is a small isolated incident in one area of the school would immediately be spread through the entire school.

    What about phones that surf the internet? Most phones can. Given the choice, do I surf porn in lunch/study hall or do my homework??? hmmmm...

    Makes you wonder how the parents of these kids could have ever received a good education at all in public schools when all they had to be concerned with was learning.

    For all of the good things that come with connectivity, old-school is much better in-school.

    John, for as wise as you are on most issues, I think you got this one wrong.
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  8. The school board has more pressing issues to deal with, there is nothing wrong with current policy and whoever decided that this was important at THIS time should be ashamed. There is NO need to use that cell phone at school. Period.
    a parent
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  9. The problem I have with this is that the concept of-- They are doing it anyway so we should change the rules just baffels me.
    Should the speed limits be changed just because everyone speeds? I guess 85 MPH will be next on the interstates
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  10. Every time our daughter had her cell phone taken away it was because my husband was texting her - was she coming home right after school, riding the bus or riding with a friend, etc., etc. Let the school staff decide if they can have cell phone use, especially during lunch periods.
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  11. Concerned

    Save $1,000,000 + by eliminating the EMRTs (Elementary Math Resource Teachers). Totally ineffective program pushing the failed Math Investigations curriculum. Teachers are asked to put up with the ridiculous visits 2x a month from these individuals. Nonsense is talked about. Teachers don't want them. They don't help the students. They are costing the taxpayer money. Get rid of these positions . Additionally, cut out every TRTA position. The savings could be roughly $20k per person with benefits x 70 positions or so. Total savings $1,400,000. Just saved $2,400,000. These people are assistants to the Technology Teacher. Hmm...the classroom teacher has no assistant. What's wrong with this picture? Board Members....the reason teachers aren't speaking is for fear of reprecussions.
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  12. There is a lot of waste and Fles is one of them at our school where the percentage of Spanish speaking students out number the English speaking students.
    Also, if the board gave themselves a raise how is that fair to the rest of the county workers who didn't get one. No Raises should be across the board even the School Board.
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  13. I agree with the SB majority. Updating the policy to allow students’ responsible use of cell phones during lunch or after classes have ended should be permitted and explicitly communicated to students while stressing the policy’s ban on in-class usage and other areas where violations will be enforced.
    I encourage my two HS students to keep in touch with me when leaving school, on the bus, or if something comes up, and they regularly text me during lunch and when leaving school. As working parents, cell phones are critical tools for us to keep in touch with our children, yet under the current policy, these acts are forbidden, unreasonably so.
    Obviously we can't control who students text or call without blocking specific numbers on their accounts, but according to LCPS Administration, their wireless access is already restricted so there's one less issue of concern.
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  14. NO!! The policy is in place for a reason. All of you parents who text their kids during the school day are disrupting their learning as well as the learning of other kids. There is NO reason that they should text during school. On the way home or prior to school starting is a different story. During lunch they need to eat and socialize with their friends, not glued to the phone. It is bad enough they are attached to the phone all the time. There needs to be some down time and school is the appropriate place for that. Besides parents... if you have a true emergency and need to talk to your kids the school do have telephone lines!
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