Executive Order decreeing "cell-phone free" education in k-12

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In Cooper Middle School, cell phones aren't allowed. But this is definitely not enforced. Some classes require cell phones (Take a video! Take a picture of something! Use the calculator for this problem!) and my daughter was sending me photos all year that either she or her friends took in PE class, at recess, or during Quiet Study Time (QST).

I would love to see this ban actually enforced.

You can enforce it. Don’t let her bring her phone to school or put screentime on it while she’s there.

I feel like this is equivalent to parents sending in a big bag of candy in a backpack every day but telling their kid they can only eat one piece at lunch. The kid eats more, all through the day, and the parents get upset with the teachers and tell them to enforce the one piece of candy per day rule.

[Anonymous]

Cooper has/had a huge problem with cyber bullying during the school day. The teachers were aware but did nothing.

[Anonymous]

The governor’s eo should have banned smartphones in schools. Dumb phones only. That would have been an eo that meant something- not a PR stunt that replicates what many districts already do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Cooper Middle School, cell phones aren't allowed. But this is definitely not enforced. Some classes require cell phones (Take a video! Take a picture of something! Use the calculator for this problem!) and my daughter was sending me photos all year that either she or her friends took in PE class, at recess, or during Quiet Study Time (QST).

I would love to see this ban actually enforced.

You can enforce it. Don’t let her bring her phone to school or put screentime on it while she’s there.

I feel like this is equivalent to parents sending in a big bag of candy in a backpack every day but telling their kid they can only eat one piece at lunch. The kid eats more, all through the day, and the parents get upset with the teachers and tell them to enforce the one piece of candy per day rule.

That is such a great analogy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Long time HS teacher here and this is how it’s going to play out with older kids. There will be meetings during the teacher workdays and we will need to have something in the syllabus. Admin will put together some unrealistic protocol, like we need to keep track of infractions ourself, give a certain number of warnings, on the whatever time email/call parents, then on the next time write a referral. Some teachers will stress over this and have complicated spreadsheets, write referrals only to find out no discipline happens.

Nothing will change in my class. I’ve always had a cell away rule. It’s usually not an issue. I will contact parents if they are ever cheating on a test or being disruptive. I will not if I see them send a quick text. No one has time for that and most of the time, the parents are texting their own kids.

This and admin will do nothing but expect teachers to do it all-as usual.

Teachers will have to do their jobs, waah waah waah.

Not my job to deal with your kid's phone. They're free to stay on it and learn nothing while I teach those who are in my class for a good reason.

Your lack of compassion for the other students they are disrupting is gross.

They're not disrupting them. They're just drugging themselves.
My test scores are well above benchmarks. The students who were on their phones a lot failed. Such is life.

If they would have done better but for the phone, then the school has failed the student.

Maybe the parent should have them keep the phone at home. YOU, as a parent, can EASILY resolve this problem. The teacher told me my student was failing because they didn’t get off the phone, then that phone would be taken away immediately.

Stop blaming FCPS for something a parent could resolve in 60 seconds. Kids don’t need them. It’s a convenience, not a necessity.

This is the crux of the issue. I voted almost straight dem in the last election, and I fully support Youngkin on this. I’m only a former teacher, but if I were a current principal, I’d ask for $ to buy the locking cell phone bags.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Cooper Middle School, cell phones aren't allowed. But this is definitely not enforced. Some classes require cell phones (Take a video! Take a picture of something! Use the calculator for this problem!) and my daughter was sending me photos all year that either she or her friends took in PE class, at recess, or during Quiet Study Time (QST).

I would love to see this ban actually enforced.

You can enforce it. Don’t let her bring her phone to school or put screentime on it while she’s there.

I feel like this is equivalent to parents sending in a big bag of candy in a backpack every day but telling their kid they can only eat one piece at lunch. The kid eats more, all through the day, and the parents get upset with the teachers and tell them to enforce the one piece of candy per day rule.

I love this analogy so much that I want to make it a pinned post. Best post of the day, by far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Cooper Middle School, cell phones aren't allowed. But this is definitely not enforced. Some classes require cell phones (Take a video! Take a picture of something! Use the calculator for this problem!) and my daughter was sending me photos all year that either she or her friends took in PE class, at recess, or during Quiet Study Time (QST).

I would love to see this ban actually enforced.

You can enforce it. Don’t let her bring her phone to school or put screentime on it while she’s there.

I feel like this is equivalent to parents sending in a big bag of candy in a backpack every day but telling their kid they can only eat one piece at lunch. The kid eats more, all through the day, and the parents get upset with the teachers and tell them to enforce the one piece of candy per day rule.

Yeah it’s almost like student behavior is the parents responsibility and not a teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cooper has/had a huge problem with cyber bullying during the school day. The teachers were aware but did nothing.

What do you expect in a school with so many entitled students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Cooper Middle School, cell phones aren't allowed. But this is definitely not enforced. Some classes require cell phones (Take a video! Take a picture of something! Use the calculator for this problem!) and my daughter was sending me photos all year that either she or her friends took in PE class, at recess, or during Quiet Study Time (QST).

I would love to see this ban actually enforced.

You can enforce it. Don’t let her bring her phone to school or put screentime on it while she’s there.

I feel like this is equivalent to parents sending in a big bag of candy in a backpack every day but telling their kid they can only eat one piece at lunch. The kid eats more, all through the day, and the parents get upset with the teachers and tell them to enforce the one piece of candy per day rule.

Yeah it’s almost like student behavior is the parents responsibility and not a teachers.

One of my kids had a kindergarten teacher who took this to an extreme. She would call home and expect us to simply talk to our 5 year olds and fix their in-class behavior without being able to monitor it and apply immediate consequences (for better or worse).

Come on - there's a balance. Yes I can and do actively parent my kids at home. My 12 year old doesn't have a phone of any sort, so she's definitely not distracted by one in class. But teachers are also responsible for classroom management, full stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Cooper Middle School, cell phones aren't allowed. But this is definitely not enforced. Some classes require cell phones (Take a video! Take a picture of something! Use the calculator for this problem!) and my daughter was sending me photos all year that either she or her friends took in PE class, at recess, or during Quiet Study Time (QST).

I would love to see this ban actually enforced.

You can enforce it. Don’t let her bring her phone to school or put screentime on it while she’s there.

I feel like this is equivalent to parents sending in a big bag of candy in a backpack every day but telling their kid they can only eat one piece at lunch. The kid eats more, all through the day, and the parents get upset with the teachers and tell them to enforce the one piece of candy per day rule.

Yeah it’s almost like student behavior is the parents responsibility and not a teachers.

One of my kids had a kindergarten teacher who took this to an extreme. She would call home and expect us to simply talk to our 5 year olds and fix their in-class behavior without being able to monitor it and apply immediate consequences (for better or worse).

Come on - there's a balance. Yes I can and do actively parent my kids at home. My 12 year old doesn't have a phone of any sort, so she's definitely not distracted by one in class. But teachers are also responsible for classroom management, full stop.

Full stop

If the teacher calls home, it’s because your child didn’t respond when redirected or repeats the same behaviors. That’s a home issue because they haven’t been taught respect. You need to make it clear that the child will follow the teacher’s instructions/not disrupt/etc. I had teachers with poor classroom management skills. I still behaved because I knew that’s what was expected AND I’d be in trouble at home, if not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Cooper Middle School, cell phones aren't allowed. But this is definitely not enforced. Some classes require cell phones (Take a video! Take a picture of something! Use the calculator for this problem!) and my daughter was sending me photos all year that either she or her friends took in PE class, at recess, or during Quiet Study Time (QST).

I would love to see this ban actually enforced.

You can enforce it. Don’t let her bring her phone to school or put screentime on it while she’s there.

I feel like this is equivalent to parents sending in a big bag of candy in a backpack every day but telling their kid they can only eat one piece at lunch. The kid eats more, all through the day, and the parents get upset with the teachers and tell them to enforce the one piece of candy per day rule.

Yeah it’s almost like student behavior is the parents responsibility and not a teachers.

One of my kids had a kindergarten teacher who took this to an extreme. She would call home and expect us to simply talk to our 5 year olds and fix their in-class behavior without being able to monitor it and apply immediate consequences (for better or worse).

Come on - there's a balance. Yes I can and do actively parent my kids at home. My 12 year old doesn't have a phone of any sort, so she's definitely not distracted by one in class. But teachers are also responsible for classroom management, full stop.

Full stop

If the teacher calls home, it’s because your child didn’t respond when redirected or repeats the same behaviors. That’s a home issue because they haven’t been taught respect. You need to make it clear that the child will follow the teacher’s instructions/not disrupt/etc. I had teachers with poor classroom management skills. I still behaved because I knew that’s what was expected AND I’d be in trouble at home, if not.

Unfortunately, we can’t rely on parents for behavioral guidance. We know this because of equity. I don’t see this as any different. Teachers need to be empowered to stop poor behavior including cell phone usage. If you can’t write up a student for a myriad of other behavioral problems, this is no different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Cooper Middle School, cell phones aren't allowed. But this is definitely not enforced. Some classes require cell phones (Take a video! Take a picture of something! Use the calculator for this problem!) and my daughter was sending me photos all year that either she or her friends took in PE class, at recess, or during Quiet Study Time (QST).

I would love to see this ban actually enforced.

You can enforce it. Don’t let her bring her phone to school or put screentime on it while she’s there.

I feel like this is equivalent to parents sending in a big bag of candy in a backpack every day but telling their kid they can only eat one piece at lunch. The kid eats more, all through the day, and the parents get upset with the teachers and tell them to enforce the one piece of candy per day rule.

I love this analogy so much that I want to make it a pinned post. Best post of the day, by far.

Feel free to use and repeat this analogy as much as you like! I’m just your average middle age mom with two cell addicted teens myself. I’ve been also teaching high schoolers for over 25 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would love to see added to this EO that Virginia schools allow no more thank 30 minutes of computer time for early childhood classes (K-2) per week, no more than 1 hour of computer time for 3rd and 4th grade per week and no more than 30 minutes of computer time per day for 5th and 6th grade.

One of the worst things to come out of pandemic school is the over reliance of 1:1 laptops in elementary school. We know without a doubt that daily screen time is very bad for children's development.

Get back to traditional teaching/shared class carts and ditch the reliance on 1:1 laptops for most of elementary school.

This. My DD just graduated with teaching degree and during her student teaching in early elementary grades she was "required" to have each student read for at least 30 minutes....great right? Reading on a freaking tablet!! I mean seriously. I thought that was insane. Then for logging in...each student was supposed to remember to login to their laptop and use a pw....half the time my DD just did it for them because the amount of time it took 2nd graders to type it all in was excruciatingly slow and time consuming. And this was a Title 1 school with early elementary students already struggling.

And then during an interview up here she asks about cell phone usage policy for students and is told that isn't really the problem - it's the smart watches and kids texting back n forth with their parents that's the issue...because a parent saying "oh, I don't let my elementary age child bring his/her cell phone to school" but turns around and gives them a smartphone is really any better? I haven't ready the EO, but wonder if it mentions anything about smart watches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would love to see added to this EO that Virginia schools allow no more thank 30 minutes of computer time for early childhood classes (K-2) per week, no more than 1 hour of computer time for 3rd and 4th grade per week and no more than 30 minutes of computer time per day for 5th and 6th grade.

One of the worst things to come out of pandemic school is the over reliance of 1:1 laptops in elementary school. We know without a doubt that daily screen time is very bad for children's development.

Get back to traditional teaching/shared class carts and ditch the reliance on 1:1 laptops for most of elementary school.

This. My DD just graduated with teaching degree and during her student teaching in early elementary grades she was "required" to have each student read for at least 30 minutes....great right? Reading on a freaking tablet!! I mean seriously. I thought that was insane. Then for logging in...each student was supposed to remember to login to their laptop and use a pw....half the time my DD just did it for them because the amount of time it took 2nd graders to type it all in was excruciatingly slow and time consuming. And this was a Title 1 school with early elementary students already struggling.

And then during an interview up here she asks about cell phone usage policy for students and is told that isn't really the problem - it's the smart watches and kids texting back n forth with their parents that's the issue...because a parent saying "oh, I don't let my elementary age child bring his/her cell phone to school" but turns around and gives them a smartphone is really any better? I haven't ready the EO, but wonder if it mentions anything about smart watches.

PP here...correction:

...but turns around and gives them a smart watch is really any better? I haven't ready the EO, but wonder if it mentions anything about smart watches.

[Anonymous]

Broward County has just banned cell phones from first to last bell. Cell phones used to be allowed during lunch and passing periods but no longer.

https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/broward-county-school-board-passes-cell-phone-ban-for-students/