What do you think of this email regarding a cellphone policy
Inappropriate Cellphone Use on the Rise
I have removed the name of the school from the letter. What do you think of the policy?
Student Cell Phone Use
Cell phones are not to be on, used, or visible during the school day. Students may not use phones in the classroom, restroom, hallway, or cafeteria from 7:45-3:15. Students MAY use cell phones before and after school.
The first time a student is in violation of this rule, he/she will receive two detentions and the cell phone will be confiscated and returned to the student at the end of the day. If it occurs again, the student will receive progressive discipline from that point on. It is OK if the student asks to take the battery out before turning the phone over. If you have concerns (reasonable suspicion) that the phone was being used for inappropriate activity we will investigate further when the student comes to pick up the phone. If the student refuses to turn the phone over then call the Deans’ Office and we will see the student immediately. Do not engage in a confrontation in the classroom regarding the phone.
An increasing number of students are receiving calls/texts from parents. If a parent must contact a student, please contact the Deans’ Office at ###-###-####. If a student must contact a parent, they may ask to use a phone in the Deans’ or Counselor’s Office.
Our goal is to limit classroom disruptions and maintain a safe environment for everyone at school. Thank you for your attention to this policy.
Who has to monitor this? Sounds like way too much work. Has anyone asked what students think?
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that it is up to the teachers to monitor.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe the entire student body has been surveyed about their opinions on the policy, but I would have to ask someone at that school to be sure...
The tone of this policy is rather harsh, don't you think? Phones can be used as a teaching tool (I am preaching to the choir here). What if a teacher wants to use for educational purposes? I would suspect there would need to be a policy on that, too regarding minutes used, air time, security of phones, and of course, consequences for inappropriate use. I wonder as well, for the current policy, who enforces, monitors. I know where my son goes to HS, there is a policy on cell phones to keep them in lockers during the school day and turned off to to vibrate(Notre Dame College Prep). At Ressurection HS, I believe those students can use their phones during lunch (at least that is what a mom told me last year). It might be a good thing to compare to others. I recently saw an Argus (?) poster that has a cell phone or an iPod with a red circle around it with the line that says something like - "unplug and learn"... I just laughed and shook my head when I saw that. Keep us posted on the progress of your policy.
ReplyDeleteI suspect in a couple of years this will read like an archaic set of rules from the dark ages...akin to librarians "shushing" kids who want to work in study groups in the library but they're not allowed because libraries must be quiet zones. I understand the good intentions that may lie behind it but I think our challenge is to step out of the box and think differently about how to move forward. Just my gut feeling...
ReplyDeleteMy problem with it is that this is a poorly thought out policy in its entirety. I'm not a school disciplinarian, but I think that the policy should be more to the effect of: "Cell phone use during class is left to the teacher's discretion, after permission is obtained from parents for their students to use cell phones for educational purposes. Cell phone use outside of class (e.g. during passing periods, before or after school, at school-sponsored events, etc.) will be handled according to existing disciplinary rules regarding appropriate student conduct." It leaves a lot of it up to the individual judgment call of the staff member dealing with the issue. If you can't trust the judgment of the staff, who can you trust?
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