With a surprising show of common sense, the Hillsborough County School Board disallows any use of cell phones or other electronic devices:
Beginning the first day of school, that cell phone better be off and out of sight — or else…
“We see it, we take it” is the new mantra…
That includes lunch. No exceptions once the first bell rings.
“We’re going to have to be really clear that this is a rule that applies to every student, every day, every time you walk onto campus,” School Board member Candy Olson said.
Why such a strong statement? Because the school board previously pandered to helicopter parents who felt the need to be in touch with their kids throughout the day. In fact, they are already getting complaints about the new ruling:
Assistant superintendent for administration Lewis Brinson already has received e-mails from parents complaining that the rule amounts to a violation of their constitutional rights.
Good grief! You wonder how these parents can make it through the day.
The kids are at school to learn. They should be allowed to do that with no distractions at all. You don’t have a “constitutional right” to disrupt education.
Even though their lack of foresight originally assisted to this problem, we commend for the School Board for correcting the problem and finally getting this one right.
Now, about these busing problems…
Patricia
1 year ago
I’d say almost right. I agree in general but I know that in practice emergencies happen. Of course, one can contact the school office during school hours. But what about before classes actually begin and after school ends?, when a kid is on campus but outside the boundaries of instruction time?
A parent caught in traffic might want to convey that to their child and perhaps offer an alternative, like catch a ride with the neighbor. And there’s definitely a need to communicate during afterschool activities, when the office is closed.
I think the board needs to clarify and possibly amend this policy just a bit…
tj
1 year ago
it’s funny when people who do not understand technology or the application of it think they can stop people from using it anyway they want.
when i was in school those motorola pagers were all the rage (the first form of txt messaging I suppose). Oh the teachers hated them! But then you taught yourself how to send the messages without taking them out of your pocket.
As an example, I love this ringtone that only young adults and children can here:
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=14031&in_page_id=2&expand=true
They will have their cell phones and you won’t be able to stop them regardless of what kinds of ‘rules’ you make.
I don’t think the issue has anything to do with ‘parents rights’ ’students rights’ blah blah blah, I think the issue is how do you stop someone from communicating to another person when the technology is there to do it?
The solution probably lies in teaching people manners.
Steve B.
1 year ago
Although educated in a small rural school in North Dakota myself, I find this new policy interesting nonetheless. While I am all for it, I would suggest that students should be permitted to use their phones during their lunch breaks.
I say this for two reasons: 1) It is inevitable. As the storm of complaints from overly influential parents pile, the schools will have to make the compromise at some point if they hope to hold to their stance at all, and 2) From my experience in high school, I always thought of the lunch break as “liberation time”. Had I felt restricted during that period, surely I would have skipped out during other parts of the day in frustration/rebellion.
Thanks.
David Jenkins
1 year ago
About time. It’s absurd to think a parent can’t call a school and leave a message. Worked fine when I was in school.
Maybe it wouldn’t be a problem if people didn’t act so entitled, rude and self-absorbed.
Marlene Sokol
1 year ago
The front offices at my kids’ schools don’t have adults, but students answering the phones with results that are not always reliable, just as a school nurse told my son he could see just fine when he had 20/100 vision. That said, I don’t want my kids texting their friends all day long. We posted an amusing little item on our blog that shows the diagram that tells the teachers what to do if they bust a kid with a cell phone:
http://blogs.tampabay.com/newtampa/2008/07/freedom-kids-st.html
justamom
1 year ago
I substitute at a middle school. The problem isn’t just the use – its the thefts. Jr. loses his phone and the parents go bonkers. “That kid stole it!” No I didn’t!” Police, searches, etc.
kate
1 year ago
What no one realizes is that this was already the policy in place at schools throughout Hillsborough County. As a former teacher, I was instructed by admin that if I saw a cell being used, I was to take it. Usually I gave a warning, but it wasn’t really an issue. And parents had to come into the school in order to get it back. They hated it, but that was the rule.
How is this different? And how is this news?