At the March school board meeting, a brief item near the end of the agenda simply stated “Cell phone policy.” What followed was a brief discussion of whether or not the district should amend the policy to prohibit phones in school, rather than the current off and away policy.
District employee Jenny Stringer said she does not think a new policy is needed,but rather the current policy of “off and away” should be enforced.
Retired teacher and current board member Randy Mogen said, “from experience phones are very distracting. I am in favor of looking into a new policy.”
A group of Park High teachers has been exploring changes to the phone policy and looking into options like pouches that allow students to keep their phones with them but not access them during the school day.
English teacher Kelly Dick is one teacher who is interested in changing the policy. He said that the education system has dramatically decreased in quality and efficiency. School used to be a huge priority for everyone because it was the gateway to a better life, he explained. “Phones are a huge distraction to the current generation. If the school started taking phones there would be a lot more productive, engaged students due to not having the distraction of a phone during class or after,” he said. He also stated that “with no phones during school it would force people to start engaging into more face to face interactions.”
Junior Jayme Easterbrooks said, “I think if they come up with a more secure way to keep students’ phones that it could either go extremely well and phones will no longer be a problem, or it will go really badly and a lot of students will not comply. I think it gives teenagers anxiety when they don’t have their phone.”
Freshman Kypton Vincent said “School is a place to learn not to be on our phones. What would America be like if everyone was on their phones while working? Not good, would it?”
Carter Sestrich spoke on the opposing side’s behalf, saying, “School is very important but overstepping people’s rights to using their property is out of hand.”
I can see both sides of the argument. As Sestrich points out, many students have to pay for their own cell phones. A new phone is around $1,000, and to have someone tell you when and where you can use them is overstepping the boundaries.
There are also times where cell phones can be useful at school. An example of a situation that could go very wrong is there is a school shooter and everyone is trapped in their class rooms. Phones could help police get intel on where the shooter is and other useful information.
I agree with Mr. Dick’s point about phones getting in the way of social interaction. During Covid, lots of people hid behind screens, losing social skills that everyone needs to function productively in society. People see this as an opportunity for people to gain social skills back not through a phone or app but face to face.
If the no phones policy does not go through people hope to at least have more structure on the current policy.