Cell phone lock pouches pilot program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cell phone use is very much a problem in middle and high school. My child has observed kids using cell phones to cheat on tests, to watch videos during class time, to take photos and videos of other students and use AI to make it seem as though other students are saying/doing bad things. One child refused to put her phone away, saying her parent was texting her and it was important, and thus texted all through class. Teachers shouldn't have to put up with all that.

I don't think parents fully know everything their kids are doing on cellphones. It's great if one parent monitors their child's cellphone use, but there are 20-30 kids in a class and the majority of parents are not paying attention to what their kids are doing.

My child's in a high school where they put the cell phones in what looks like a shoe organizer hanging on the door. My child has said that the program, while not perfect, has helped with kids paying more attention in school. I like that my child is no longer distracted by kids watching cell phone videos during test time. I like that there are fewer instances of teachers having to waste teaching time arguing with students over cell phones.

+1
They don't need to waste $$$ on these stupid pouches - just put all phones in the shoe organizer, or bin, or container of some sort. Phones should all be off or muted. Kids can pick them up at the end of class. For the life of me, I can't understand why this wasn't implemented YEARS ago.

Because when all 30+ kids put their phones in the little pocket chart up front, I am responsible for $30,000 worth of technology that doesn't belong to me. Fire drill goes off--did I forget to lock the door? End of class chaos when I'm scrambling to help a student and not paying attention to phone pick up, did student A take student B's brand new $1500 iphone? Kid forgets their phone at the end of class and I put it in my desk for safe keeping. Kid's SO sends nude photos, am I now in possession of child pornography? Pocket chart slips and I try to adjust the hooks but it falls and screens crack--who is responsible for fixing the phones?

There was a LOT of fear and concern in this litigious community that schools would be on the hook for damages and theft. Behaviors and learning environment had to get so bad that schools would rather deal with the fall out of lost/stolen/broken phones than deal with the behaviors any more.

I'm still getting angry emails from parents when I notify them I wrote referrals for phone use in class. "FYI, I wrote a referral because Johnny did not put his phone up in math and was using it during independent work time." "You have no business writing a referral for him contacting his parents. We are dealing with things at home that require access to our child at all times. I will be notifying admin that you are not accommodating our child's needs." It's insane. My admin is wonderful and backing me up consistently, but it is a battle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cell phone use is very much a problem in middle and high school. My child has observed kids using cell phones to cheat on tests, to watch videos during class time, to take photos and videos of other students and use AI to make it seem as though other students are saying/doing bad things. One child refused to put her phone away, saying her parent was texting her and it was important, and thus texted all through class. Teachers shouldn't have to put up with all that.

I don't think parents fully know everything their kids are doing on cellphones. It's great if one parent monitors their child's cellphone use, but there are 20-30 kids in a class and the majority of parents are not paying attention to what their kids are doing.

My child's in a high school where they put the cell phones in what looks like a shoe organizer hanging on the door. My child has said that the program, while not perfect, has helped with kids paying more attention in school. I like that my child is no longer distracted by kids watching cell phone videos during test time. I like that there are fewer instances of teachers having to waste teaching time arguing with students over cell phones.

+1
They don't need to waste $$$ on these stupid pouches - just put all phones in the shoe organizer, or bin, or container of some sort. Phones should all be off or muted. Kids can pick them up at the end of class. For the life of me, I can't understand why this wasn't implemented YEARS ago.

Because when all 30+ kids put their phones in the little pocket chart up front, I am responsible for $30,000 worth of technology that doesn't belong to me. Fire drill goes off--did I forget to lock the door? End of class chaos when I'm scrambling to help a student and not paying attention to phone pick up, did student A take student B's brand new $1500 iphone? Kid forgets their phone at the end of class and I put it in my desk for safe keeping. Kid's SO sends nude photos, am I now in possession of child pornography? Pocket chart slips and I try to adjust the hooks but it falls and screens crack--who is responsible for fixing the phones?

There was a LOT of fear and concern in this litigious community that schools would be on the hook for damages and theft. Behaviors and learning environment had to get so bad that schools would rather deal with the fall out of lost/stolen/broken phones than deal with the behaviors any more.

I'm still getting angry emails from parents when I notify them I wrote referrals for phone use in class. "FYI, I wrote a referral because Johnny did not put his phone up in math and was using it during independent work time." "You have no business writing a referral for him contacting his parents. We are dealing with things at home that require access to our child at all times. I will be notifying admin that you are not accommodating our child's needs." It's insane. My admin is wonderful and backing me up consistently, but it is a battle.

Just know that many of us back you up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cell phone use is very much a problem in middle and high school. My child has observed kids using cell phones to cheat on tests, to watch videos during class time, to take photos and videos of other students and use AI to make it seem as though other students are saying/doing bad things. One child refused to put her phone away, saying her parent was texting her and it was important, and thus texted all through class. Teachers shouldn't have to put up with all that.

I don't think parents fully know everything their kids are doing on cellphones. It's great if one parent monitors their child's cellphone use, but there are 20-30 kids in a class and the majority of parents are not paying attention to what their kids are doing.

My child's in a high school where they put the cell phones in what looks like a shoe organizer hanging on the door. My child has said that the program, while not perfect, has helped with kids paying more attention in school. I like that my child is no longer distracted by kids watching cell phone videos during test time. I like that there are fewer instances of teachers having to waste teaching time arguing with students over cell phones.

+1
They don't need to waste $$$ on these stupid pouches - just put all phones in the shoe organizer, or bin, or container of some sort. Phones should all be off or muted. Kids can pick them up at the end of class. For the life of me, I can't understand why this wasn't implemented YEARS ago.

It was, at least in some schools, and it didn’t work then either. My current college senior initially had to use the shoe holder in multiple classes as a HS freshman. Every one of those teachers had abandoned the practice by the end of the year for one reason or another.

[Anonymous]

I recently found out that some kids put an old phone in the pouches so staff think they are complying and then they play with their phones when they shouldn’t be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recently found out that some kids put an old phone in the pouches so staff think they are complying and then they play with their phones when they shouldn’t be.

Phones, empty cases, calculators...I'm not checking the phones closely, only that the pocket assigned to the child is filled. It's been like this since day 1, then they'll ask to go to the bathroom and google answers or play on tiktok for 20 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:God I hope not our school. My child has zero issues with phone use. We don’t want pouches.

Are you a child? Or was this response written by a child? Because it comes off that way.

Teachers and students need to be supported by policies that are black and white. Kids of survived this long without cell phones in schools and now that they have them, every major study has indicated they are a problem. Feel free to prove me wrong. Phone use in schools is a problem and there should be a clear policy to significantly curtail their use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:God I hope not our school. My child has zero issues with phone use. We don’t want pouches.

If your child doesn't have any issues, then the pouch shouldn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God I hope not our school. My child has zero issues with phone use. We don’t want pouches.

Good for your child, but it’s literally a problem at every single school and it needs to be implemented at every high school. It’s taking away valuable time from kids learning and create so many social issues.

No it doesn’t. If your kid can’t put down the phone at school, maybe you shouldn’t allow your child to bring their phone to school.

Dude your kid goes to public school. The policy is going to be put in place to benefit most kids not just YOUR kid. So, yeah there will be pouches or at least a prohibition on using phones during school hours with a warning system in place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With budget cuts from county and FCPS where results are to be no middle school clubs, cuts to HS and more, will be shameful if FCPS pays millions to yet another 3rd party and this time for pouches - if just implemented at HS, with 50,000 students at $30 a pouch, that’s $1.5 million- then more if add MS. The pouch, which has already been proven out in other states to NOT be the deterrent hoped for (not to mention SO many online videos for workarounds). Don’t spend the $ and allow schools to discipline. Not debating phones in school, but absolutely against FCPS paying 3rd party for pouches that will not solve the problem and only take more $ away.

I actually think Yoder pouches are a GREAT way to use the budget. Phones are such a problem now that it is absolutely a necessity to deal with the problem head on and I commend FCPS for taking the initiative. Yoder pouches in all schools. No phone use from bell to bell (which is already the policy in elementary schools).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With budget cuts from county and FCPS where results are to be no middle school clubs, cuts to HS and more, will be shameful if FCPS pays millions to yet another 3rd party and this time for pouches - if just implemented at HS, with 50,000 students at $30 a pouch, that’s $1.5 million- then more if add MS. The pouch, which has already been proven out in other states to NOT be the deterrent hoped for (not to mention SO many online videos for workarounds). Don’t spend the $ and allow schools to discipline. Not debating phones in school, but absolutely against FCPS paying 3rd party for pouches that will not solve the problem and only take more $ away.

I actually think Yoder pouches are a GREAT way to use the budget. Phones are such a problem now that it is absolutely a necessity to deal with the problem head on and I commend FCPS for taking the initiative. Yoder pouches in all schools. No phone use from bell to bell (which is already the policy in elementary schools).

You have a kid in elementary school. You didn’t read all of the posts from parents and teachers of older students telling you how they will put other things in the pouches and no one will check. That’s why it’s a waste of money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They’re not using the pouches you’re thinking about at our school. Each teacher has a box, folder or other storage container for the phones. It takes 1 additional minute for kids to walk up and grab their device. Teachers unanimously said it was the best decision FCPS has made.

This is incorrect. There are a few middle schools, like Robinson in grades 7-8, that have been using Yondr pouches this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With budget cuts from county and FCPS where results are to be no middle school clubs, cuts to HS and more, will be shameful if FCPS pays millions to yet another 3rd party and this time for pouches - if just implemented at HS, with 50,000 students at $30 a pouch, that’s $1.5 million- then more if add MS. The pouch, which has already been proven out in other states to NOT be the deterrent hoped for (not to mention SO many online videos for workarounds). Don’t spend the $ and allow schools to discipline. Not debating phones in school, but absolutely against FCPS paying 3rd party for pouches that will not solve the problem and only take more $ away.

I actually think Yoder pouches are a GREAT way to use the budget. Phones are such a problem now that it is absolutely a necessity to deal with the problem head on and I commend FCPS for taking the initiative. Yoder pouches in all schools. No phone use from bell to bell (which is already the policy in elementary schools).

Thanks Yonder shareholder!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God I hope not our school. My child has zero issues with phone use. We don’t want pouches.

Good for your child, but it’s literally a problem at every single school and it needs to be implemented at every high school. It’s taking away valuable time from kids learning and create so many social issues.

And those who have them are distracting to other kids that don’t even take them to school.

No it doesn’t. If your kid can’t put down the phone at school, maybe you shouldn’t allow your child to bring their phone to school.

You’re an absolute fool if you think you’re precious snowflake isn’t using their phone at inappropriate times at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God I hope not our school. My child has zero issues with phone use. We don’t want pouches.

If your child doesn't have any issues, then the pouch shouldn't matter.

Exactly. Phone are very distracting. Even if your kid isn’t using theirs they will be distracted by other kids using their phone.

[Anonymous]

My kid has a 4.0 uw and 4.6 weighted. They're not inapprorpiately using their phones or distracted. This is a big waste of money for a school district suffering a shortfall. I'd rather invest in smaller class size/more teachers and higher teacher pay.