Cracking down on cell phones

Step one: Get cell phone use under control in Hillsborough schools.

Step two: Consider privileges like letting students use them during lunch.

The approach likely will first require students to follow the rules and keep cell phones off during school hours. That means cell phones should be out of sight, agreed a group of teachers, administrators and parents reviewing the issue Monday. If not, there will be consequences, an area where Hillsborough schools now lack consistency, said Lewis Brinson, assistant superintendent of administration.

Next school year, the rules could look like this:

1st violation: Warning.

2nd violation: Another warning, phone confiscated until parent picks it up.

3rd violation: Another warning and student sent to in-school suspension.

4th violation: Student suspended out of school.

The ideas that came out of Monday's work session are hardly written in stone. Participants used smiley face stickers and stickey notes to mark up oversized sheets of paper with answer to questions like "Should cell phones be allowed in classrooms?" and "Should students be allowed to display the cell phones?"

High school students were invited to the meeting, but none made it. School administrators plan a similar exercise with high school student leaders later in the week.

Brinson said school officials would like to  see new procedures in place to control cell phone abuse for the next school year. He plans to bring the final recommendations to the School Board on May 20.

And school officials hear loud and clear that students want to be able to use their phones during lunch. The district may leave the window open for a mid-year change, as an incentive, perhaps, once students prove they're able to use cell phones responsibly.

Comments

[student]

Why is it such a big deal anyways? I am in college now and sometimes text in class or step out to use the phone, as far as I see it it doesn't hurt anyone but me. Even last year in high school I used my phone all the time. As long as its on vibrate and not used in a disruptive way, I see no problem with the cell phones. This LOOKS like a molehill made into a mountain

[teacher in Hillsborough]

First, if teachers (adults) can go without the cell phone, because I do, except on my planning... then the little darlings can... these new rules are jokes, and the kid and parents know it. I see hundreds of uses a day in passing and in my class. It is what it is... we must have all or nothing because we don't have the resources or time for this "let's pretend we are hard on cells" veil.

[Jason]

The parents are a major part of the problem. They regularly call and text their children while they are in school. (Hillsborough School Board Chair included!)

[jwt]

I am SO over cell phones in school!I'm ready for book, pencil and paper on desks ONLY--backpacks in the front of the room (we do it for FCAT and Exams) and ONE chance and it's gone! Teaching is hard enough without this techie version of note passing! I do NOT have time to police for "electronic devices"!

[John]

I get so tired of hearing the lame excuse, "if my (relative) has a (medical problem) I need to know it imediately." If this relative has a problem that a 17 yr old can fix, why do we have ambulances, EMS, 911 and hospitals. If it is serious enough, the proper authorities will contact the school and the student will be pulled from class. Most of the time the students are just "texting" that the class is boring or the teacher doesn't know what the teacher is talking about.

[Timmy!]

The only thing this will do will be clog up the asst. principals day with shades of gray.

BAN THEM! If they are seen they are taken. PERIOD. If they are stolen, TOUGH. Don't tie up resources.

IF there is an emergency (as defined by the principal) the principal will lift the restriction so the kid can call mommy or daddy.

Why are we so afraid to say what we mean?

I am embarrassed at how impotent my generation has become.