Schools battle cell phones

When you look at technological generation gaps, the ubiquity of cell phones is one of the dividing lines between youth and "elders." Today's teens can't imagine life without cell phones, and if you walk across a college campus you'll see students glued to their phones seemingly at every waking moment.

On the adult authority figure side of this divide, some school districts, including Cleveland and New York City, are trying to ban cell phones outright. Now I can understand an "out-of-sight, out of trouble" approach, but the strictest bans prohibit the devices anywhere on campus, even in the bottom of a backpack or a locker. Kids are ingenious in their attempts to come up with creative ways around the ban, everything from hiding a phone in a sandwich roll to parking the devices for a fee at a nearby store.

There is plenty of information out there about the pros and cons of allowing cell phones in schools. Cons include the obvious disruption of phones ringing in class, along with the potential for bullying via text messaging, and high-tech cheating.

But parents and students have a legitimate point when they argue that kids need cell phones to help coordinate after-school activities, and for safety along the way. I taught high school in San Francisco, and my students were routinely harassed on the street or public transportation on the way to and from school. If someone gets mugged, a ride breaks down, or plans change in a million everyday ways, a cell phone is an essential tool. Depriving students of the right to even possess a cell phone at school seems draconian and out of touch with reality.

On The Today Show Dr. Ruth Peters shared common sense advice on this issue, arguing that cell phones should be allowed, with consequences for using the phone inappropriately. She says that if parents want the phones to be allowed, they'll have to "lobby and make a stink about it." Parents, start dialing now....

[Art Richardson (pseud)]

cell phones

It seems to me that a school could block the cell phone reception in classrooms (maybe most areas of the school), but have a cell phone commons area where students can access their voice mail and text messages. Technology is there to make it easy. I understand that FCC regulations prohibit "active" blocking (meaning using an electronic signal to block another electronic signal, for example), but passive blocking is still legal.

Several companies now offer either products or instructions on how to passively block cellular signals, from nano-particle paints to grounded chicken wire embedded in walls. Whatever method is used, it will still be possible to establish areas where a clear signal can be had, so as to avoid any potential legal challenges. These passive options are not a significant expense to a business or school district.

Let the kids have their phones for emergencies, but restrict their use while at school without invasive or illegal methods. Seems simple to me.

[Stompie77]

Blocking isn't the answer

Don't you think that its up to the teachers and faculty to take care of the abuse of cell phones not up to spending extra money on stuff that is only going to make parents fight for the rights to use their cellphones. Also there are lots of actions making passive blocking illegal anywhere, bc no matter what people are paying the bills for the cell phones with the right to use them any where there is service. Also don't you think its safer for our kids to have the option that god forbid something does go wrong in which our kids need to actually use their cell phones to call for help in a situation that it is needed to call for help.
Its up to the schools to change the kids cellphone usage and the solution isn't blocking the signal.

[pumpkinteacher]

Don't you think the teachers are already overwhelmed? We are supposed to be educators not enforcers. The more time we have to spend "taking care" of problems, the less time we have to educate students. You do not have the right to use a device that can be used to disrupt my class and be used to cheat on tests in my classroom period.

[theadley91]

I am a student at a Texas high school in el paso. I got my phone taken away today and at my school, you must pay $15 to get your phone back, you have to wait 3 days to get it, and a parent must pick it up even though i am 18. Spring break is next week and the three day period will end on the monday following spring break, meaning i will not be able to have my phone for roughly 13 days (including today because it was taken in the morning). Why isn't this illegal? ME paying for MY OWN PROPERTY? And more importantly, taking a week out of my phone service that I AM PAYING FOR? The most disturbing part is when i refused to give up my phone, the two teachers involved threatened that if i did not give it to them, the 2 nearby police officers would basically "assault" me to get my phone. After the threat i decided to avoid further confrontation so i gave it up. They then proceeded to write me up. I waited in the office for an hour and a half, missing my whole economics period, and they never came back to tell me anything. Did they forget me? Did they cause me to miss a whole period of class just over a simple cell phone? I think there is way too much emphasis on restricting something that is extremely important in todays society, and i dislike the fact of how they see you as a criminal for having a phone in school.

[mathteacher909]

You say that you "got my phone taken away today" and then wonder "Why isn't this illegal? ME paying for MY OWN PROPERTY? And more importantly, taking a week out of my phone service that I AM PAYING FOR?"

My question, as a teacher in a public junior high school, is, Why did they take away the phone in the first place? Were you violating school policy about possession or use? Were you informed about the consequences of violating school policy before your cell phone was confiscated? (It seems so from your description of the fine.)

I can agree with you to this extent: if students didn't use cell phones during class to text their friends about where they are going after school, or who is dating who, or which teacher is being a jerk, or their latest photos that were uploaded to myspace or twitter, or stuff like that - in other words, if students could resist the temptation to use the cell phone because they have it and only use it for the emergencies they and their parents claim it is for, then I would have no problem with allowing cell phones on campus.

But the fact of the matter is that cell phones are never used for emergency purposes because emergencies almost never happen. (I say almost because there are nutjobs that shoot up schools or attack students.)

So my basic response is this: if you don't want to get in trouble for using a cell phone, DON'T USE IT unless there is an emergency. Deciding whether to hitch a ride with Jimmy or Joey or whether to get burgers after school or ice cream doesn't count.