Parent advocates who lobbied for Away All Day phone policy feel blindsided, ignored by new MCPS phone policy

[Anonymous]

SOURCE: https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-new-guidelines-away-all-day-students-use-cell-phones-school-changes-personal-mobile-device-mcps-cellphone-update-elementary-middle-high-instructional-time-lunch-between-classes-maryland-education-crisis-focus-parents-concerns#

MCPS parent Jeremy Joseph sent the following statement to 7News about the new cell phone update:

“Overall, this is a positive step forward at the ES and MS level and a huge step backward for HS.

Explicitly allowing HS students to have phones during lunch and passing periods is totally and completely out of step with how Superintendent Taylor handled this issue last year in Stafford County or what LA County did in February and Baltimore County does and how countries around the world (including Brazil and Denmark) are tackling this issue.

This policy is only going to put MCPS high school students further behind compared to their peers in more forward-thinking municipalities, and only further harm Montgomery County's economic growth as the kids will come out of HS less prepared.

What's most upsetting is that in late March the County promised a robust comment process and engagement in finalizing the updated policy, which did not occur.

Why did they make the decision to allow highschoolers to keep their phones during lunch and passing periods?

We don't know?

How will the phone policy be enforced differently from the prior policy?

We don't know - there is no detail provided.

And they released this policy on a Friday afternoon, which in DC is when you drop something you want to bury.

The new policy would appear to reduce principal discretion to keep phones out of schools during lunch and passing periods, which is the only proven way to reduce the distraction of the phones to improve learning outcomes, reduce fights and bullying, and promote critical face to face interactions and allow kids to make new friends unbound by their online contacts.

At a minimum, the policy should be updated to allow HS principals the discretion to adopt the proven Away All Day policies.

Forcing this lowest common denominator is deeply troubling and counterproductive.

Some principals will have the chutzpah and moral conviction to do what's right, and the policy should not limit their initiative.

But really, the county should simply do what the Superintendent did last year in Stafford County or what LA County did in February and Baltimore County and around the world (including Brazil and Denmark) - keep the phones out of the kids hands from first bell to last bell.

That's what the data shows is the right choice across all relevant metrics: security, academic learning, socio-emotional success and an inclusive school environment, for teacher retention and satisfaction and for budget reasons (20% of each HS class is taken up by policing the phones). There's no data provided that makes this policy the right long-term choice for HS students!

As you know, a group of parents submitted a petition with more than 2,000 signatures supporting Away All Day policies, including in HS.

We have not received any response from MCPS in response to our petition. We are happy to continue engaging with MCPS on these important topics.”

[Anonymous]

Eh, I'm the parent of a MS and HS student and this this policy is sane and sensical.

My HS-aged kid having access to their phone at lunch is fine, actually. They can (and do) use it to help with homework, to read sports scores and share with friends, or to facilitate discussion at the meeting of a club.

I think the testimony above assumes the kids are using their phones to SnapChat or something and never look up, but they are actually using them to facilitate socialization, not to shut it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eh, I'm the parent of a MS and HS student and this this policy is sane and sensical.

My HS-aged kid having access to their phone at lunch is fine, actually. They can (and do) use it to help with homework, to read sports scores and share with friends, or to facilitate discussion at the meeting of a club.

I think the testimony above assumes the kids are using their phones to SnapChat or something and never look up, but they are actually using them to facilitate socialization, not to shut it down.

Your kid doesn't need a phone at lunch. If it's a true urgent issue, they can go back to their locker and send a message. It puts such a burden on school staff to police phones that are distracting kids from their education. Just make it simple and let the kids go through their school day without additional phone time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eh, I'm the parent of a MS and HS student and this this policy is sane and sensical.

My HS-aged kid having access to their phone at lunch is fine, actually. They can (and do) use it to help with homework, to read sports scores and share with friends, or to facilitate discussion at the meeting of a club.

I think the testimony above assumes the kids are using their phones to SnapChat or something and never look up, but they are actually using them to facilitate socialization, not to shut it down.

I think you engaging in a lot of wishful thinking here and not grappling with the fact that:

1) There's a growing body of research and evidence that disputes your claims that phones at lunch are harmless
2) That your description of your kid's behavior is a reliable representation of the behaviors of the entire high school student population

[Anonymous]

Good letter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eh, I'm the parent of a MS and HS student and this this policy is sane and sensical.

My HS-aged kid having access to their phone at lunch is fine, actually. They can (and do) use it to help with homework, to read sports scores and share with friends, or to facilitate discussion at the meeting of a club.

I think the testimony above assumes the kids are using their phones to SnapChat or something and never look up, but they are actually using them to facilitate socialization, not to shut it down.

Your kid doesn't need a phone at lunch. If it's a true urgent issue, they can go back to their locker and send a message. It puts such a burden on school staff to police phones that are distracting kids from their education. Just make it simple and let the kids go through their school day without additional phone time.

What locker?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eh, I'm the parent of a MS and HS student and this this policy is sane and sensical.

My HS-aged kid having access to their phone at lunch is fine, actually. They can (and do) use it to help with homework, to read sports scores and share with friends, or to facilitate discussion at the meeting of a club.

I think the testimony above assumes the kids are using their phones to SnapChat or something and never look up, but they are actually using them to facilitate socialization, not to shut it down.

I think you engaging in a lot of wishful thinking here and not grappling with the fact that:

1) There's a growing body of research and evidence that disputes your claims that phones at lunch are harmless
2) That your description of your kid's behavior is a reliable representation of the behaviors of the entire high school student population

Can you share some of the research we can site when we send in our complaints?

[Anonymous]

MCPS consistently shows they don't want to do hard things for the benefit of kids. Path of least resistance every single time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eh, I'm the parent of a MS and HS student and this this policy is sane and sensical.

My HS-aged kid having access to their phone at lunch is fine, actually. They can (and do) use it to help with homework, to read sports scores and share with friends, or to facilitate discussion at the meeting of a club.

I think the testimony above assumes the kids are using their phones to SnapChat or something and never look up, but they are actually using them to facilitate socialization, not to shut it down.

I think you engaging in a lot of wishful thinking here and not grappling with the fact that:

1) There's a growing body of research and evidence that disputes your claims that phones at lunch are harmless
2) That your description of your kid's behavior is a reliable representation of the behaviors of the entire high school student population

Can you share some of the research we can site when we send in our complaints?

These two articles have good compendiums.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/04/25/1171773181/social-media-teens-mental-health

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/03/teen-childhood-smartphone-use-mental-health-effects/677722/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS consistently shows they don't want to do hard things for the benefit of kids. Path of least resistance every single time.

As a parent you can restrict your child's phone. Why do you need MCPS to do it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SOURCE: https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-new-guidelines-away-all-day-students-use-cell-phones-school-changes-personal-mobile-device-mcps-cellphone-update-elementary-middle-high-instructional-time-lunch-between-classes-maryland-education-crisis-focus-parents-concerns#

MCPS parent Jeremy Joseph sent the following statement to 7News about the new cell phone update:

“Overall, this is a positive step forward at the ES and MS level and a huge step backward for HS.

Explicitly allowing HS students to have phones during lunch and passing periods is totally and completely out of step with how Superintendent Taylor handled this issue last year in Stafford County or what LA County did in February and Baltimore County does and how countries around the world (including Brazil and Denmark) are tackling this issue.

This policy is only going to put MCPS high school students further behind compared to their peers in more forward-thinking municipalities, and only further harm Montgomery County's economic growth as the kids will come out of HS less prepared.

What's most upsetting is that in late March the County promised a robust comment process and engagement in finalizing the updated policy, which did not occur.

Why did they make the decision to allow highschoolers to keep their phones during lunch and passing periods?

We don't know?

How will the phone policy be enforced differently from the prior policy?

We don't know - there is no detail provided.

And they released this policy on a Friday afternoon, which in DC is when you drop something you want to bury.

The new policy would appear to reduce principal discretion to keep phones out of schools during lunch and passing periods, which is the only proven way to reduce the distraction of the phones to improve learning outcomes, reduce fights and bullying, and promote critical face to face interactions and allow kids to make new friends unbound by their online contacts.

At a minimum, the policy should be updated to allow HS principals the discretion to adopt the proven Away All Day policies.

Forcing this lowest common denominator is deeply troubling and counterproductive.

Some principals will have the chutzpah and moral conviction to do what's right, and the policy should not limit their initiative.

But really, the county should simply do what the Superintendent did last year in Stafford County or what LA County did in February and Baltimore County and around the world (including Brazil and Denmark) - keep the phones out of the kids hands from first bell to last bell.

That's what the data shows is the right choice across all relevant metrics: security, academic learning, socio-emotional success and an inclusive school environment, for teacher retention and satisfaction and for budget reasons (20% of each HS class is taken up by policing the phones). There's no data provided that makes this policy the right long-term choice for HS students!

As you know, a group of parents submitted a petition with more than 2,000 signatures supporting Away All Day policies, including in HS.

We have not received any response from MCPS in response to our petition. We are happy to continue engaging with MCPS on these important topics.”

How in the hell is allowing HS students to use their phones during lunch times, is going to put them further behind? Talk about over exaggerating, fear mongering and fake outrage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS consistently shows they don't want to do hard things for the benefit of kids. Path of least resistance every single time.

As a parent you can restrict your child's phone. Why do you need MCPS to do it?

My kid doesn’t have a phone. But when everyone else has one out at lunch, he might as well have one bc everyone is buried in their phones/group texting/watching videos. One parent can’t protect their kid without some help from the community and school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eh, I'm the parent of a MS and HS student and this this policy is sane and sensical.

My HS-aged kid having access to their phone at lunch is fine, actually. They can (and do) use it to help with homework, to read sports scores and share with friends, or to facilitate discussion at the meeting of a club.

I think the testimony above assumes the kids are using their phones to SnapChat or something and never look up, but they are actually using them to facilitate socialization, not to shut it down.

That’s great but most kids are watching/sharing stupid videos

[Anonymous]

If they aren’t actually having kids check their phones in, this is never going to work. They’ll now spend all their time trying to enforce it then give up. This also shifts the burden onto teachers who will have to tell kids to put the phone away. very dumb policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS consistently shows they don't want to do hard things for the benefit of kids. Path of least resistance every single time.

As a parent you can restrict your child's phone. Why do you need MCPS to do it?

My kid doesn’t have a phone. But when everyone else has one out at lunch, he might as well have one bc everyone is buried in their phones/group texting/watching videos. One parent can’t protect their kid without some help from the community and school.

this policy isn’t about your age-inappropriate attempt to keep your HS kid off screens. It’s about maintaining focus in the classroom. Unfortunately though it is going to be impossible to enforce if they let kids keep phones in their lockers.