Yondr pouch pilot program at some MS

[Anonymous]

Fully support a no phone policy and ask that schools enforce it. Up to them how to do it but there is no place for them during the school day, at all. I don’t want to hear the whining from admins. If the pouch makes them stop whining, fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess I am surprised that we had to pay money for a technology solution when parents could simply be asked to help enforce the no phone policy by using the downtime feature on applicable phones.

Outreach with parents would be a lot cheaper than this.

My kid isn’t getting in trouble for having his phone out because I lock it down during school hours. An email from the principal suggesting this would probably be pretty effective.

It is pretty clear from reading this thread that outreach to parents would do nothing.

Agree. I mean, OMG!! If there is a SCHOOL SHOOTER, what if your kid's phone is in DOWNTIME!! I don't know how some of you manage to send your kids off to school each morning.

One would hope that if that horrible situation were to occur, the kids would know to run like hell ratger than texting on their phones

Or that a parent would know that they can allow exceptions for messaging emergency contacts during downtime.

But people are largely dumb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since we are sharing updates and anecdotes, my daughter is at a control school without pouches and reports no issues from the first two weeks. Students have cells off and away, just last like year. Teachers in 8th grade are enforcing this just like her 7th grade teachers did and kids are not trying to sneak them out.

I should note that my daughter is AAP. Perhaps the less advanced students have more problems.

The county wide off and away policy was in place for one year (last year) and kids pretty much never had their phones out (regardless of AAP or not). It was pushed from the top down and was communicated to all parents as a county wide message. THAT made it more effective than policies in years past that differed from school to school. Teachers were instructed that students were not allowed to use their phone even for classroom activities AND it was no longer allowed out at lunch or in the hallways (which helped negate the "give an inch take a mile" effect).

That policy is being piloted alongside this yondr pouch pilot in other schools. I truly hope those schools continue to report that phones aren't an issue when you have a firm county wide policy and we can stop spending money on this ridiculous fad.

The high school always was (and continues to be) the biggest offender when it comes to cell phone use in class. Once the county heard the outcries from parents and teachers that THAT is truly where the problem was after the yondr pouches were announced, they last minute decided to implement a policy for those students. Now they're following a pilot where they put their phones in a hanging pouch when they enter the classroom and pick it up when they leave. Why did it take until now for them to do that? Individual teachers were doing it but now that the policy is being utilized school wide, it's more effective.

The trend here???? Policies that are county wide with firm disciplinary procedures alongside them are significantly more effective than those that are implemented in individual schools or classrooms. The county could have saved tens of thousands of dollars by simply continuing to push the off and away policy for middle school and implementing the pouch policy for ALL high schools in the county. But instead they went with the latest expensive fad for two grade levels where a large number of students don't even have phones.

Stupid.

+1 yep. That money could have been used to buy more busses and hire more bus drivers to be able to change middle school start times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since we are sharing updates and anecdotes, my daughter is at a control school without pouches and reports no issues from the first two weeks. Students have cells off and away, just last like year. Teachers in 8th grade are enforcing this just like her 7th grade teachers did and kids are not trying to sneak them out.

I should note that my daughter is AAP. Perhaps the less advanced students have more problems.

The county wide off and away policy was in place for one year (last year) and kids pretty much never had their phones out (regardless of AAP or not). It was pushed from the top down and was communicated to all parents as a county wide message. THAT made it more effective than policies in years past that differed from school to school. Teachers were instructed that students were not allowed to use their phone even for classroom activities AND it was no longer allowed out at lunch or in the hallways (which helped negate the "give an inch take a mile" effect).

That policy is being piloted alongside this yondr pouch pilot in other schools. I truly hope those schools continue to report that phones aren't an issue when you have a firm county wide policy and we can stop spending money on this ridiculous fad.

The high school always was (and continues to be) the biggest offender when it comes to cell phone use in class. Once the county heard the outcries from parents and teachers that THAT is truly where the problem was after the yondr pouches were announced, they last minute decided to implement a policy for those students. Now they're following a pilot where they put their phones in a hanging pouch when they enter the classroom and pick it up when they leave. Why did it take until now for them to do that? Individual teachers were doing it but now that the policy is being utilized school wide, it's more effective.

The trend here???? Policies that are county wide with firm disciplinary procedures alongside them are significantly more effective than those that are implemented in individual schools or classrooms. The county could have saved tens of thousands of dollars by simply continuing to push the off and away policy for middle school and implementing the pouch policy for ALL high schools in the county. But instead they went with the latest expensive fad for two grade levels where a large number of students don't even have phones.

Stupid.

+1 yep. That money could have been used to buy more busses and hire more bus drivers to be able to change middle school start times.

If you think the Yondr expenditure would cover additional bus service, I might suggest they put the money toward economics classes instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since we are sharing updates and anecdotes, my daughter is at a control school without pouches and reports no issues from the first two weeks. Students have cells off and away, just last like year. Teachers in 8th grade are enforcing this just like her 7th grade teachers did and kids are not trying to sneak them out.

I should note that my daughter is AAP. Perhaps the less advanced students have more problems.

The county wide off and away policy was in place for one year (last year) and kids pretty much never had their phones out (regardless of AAP or not). It was pushed from the top down and was communicated to all parents as a county wide message. THAT made it more effective than policies in years past that differed from school to school. Teachers were instructed that students were not allowed to use their phone even for classroom activities AND it was no longer allowed out at lunch or in the hallways (which helped negate the "give an inch take a mile" effect).

That policy is being piloted alongside this yondr pouch pilot in other schools. I truly hope those schools continue to report that phones aren't an issue when you have a firm county wide policy and we can stop spending money on this ridiculous fad.

The high school always was (and continues to be) the biggest offender when it comes to cell phone use in class. Once the county heard the outcries from parents and teachers that THAT is truly where the problem was after the yondr pouches were announced, they last minute decided to implement a policy for those students. Now they're following a pilot where they put their phones in a hanging pouch when they enter the classroom and pick it up when they leave. Why did it take until now for them to do that? Individual teachers were doing it but now that the policy is being utilized school wide, it's more effective.

The trend here???? Policies that are county wide with firm disciplinary procedures alongside them are significantly more effective than those that are implemented in individual schools or classrooms. The county could have saved tens of thousands of dollars by simply continuing to push the off and away policy for middle school and implementing the pouch policy for ALL high schools in the county. But instead they went with the latest expensive fad for two grade levels where a large number of students don't even have phones.

Stupid.

+1 yep. That money could have been used to buy more busses and hire more bus drivers to be able to change middle school start times.

If you think the Yondr expenditure would cover additional bus service, I might suggest they put the money toward economics classes instead.

Or a math class, if they bought a pouch for every single student in the county they could have bought four buses with no drivers. (Assuming they got a bulk price from Yondr.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fully support a no phone policy and ask that schools enforce it. Up to them how to do it but there is no place for them during the school day, at all. I don’t want to hear the whining from admins. If the pouch makes them stop whining, fine.

Aren’t the admins now going to be tasked as the messengers going between kids and parents that can’t communicate directly? Strikes me as a lot more work for admins than before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fully support a no phone policy and ask that schools enforce it. Up to them how to do it but there is no place for them during the school day, at all. I don’t want to hear the whining from admins. If the pouch makes them stop whining, fine.

Aren’t the admins now going to be tasked as the messengers going between kids and parents that can’t communicate directly? Strikes me as a lot more work for admins than before.

Most messages do not really need communicated mid day. Plan ahead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fully support a no phone policy and ask that schools enforce it. Up to them how to do it but there is no place for them during the school day, at all. I don’t want to hear the whining from admins. If the pouch makes them stop whining, fine.

Aren’t the admins now going to be tasked as the messengers going between kids and parents that can’t communicate directly? Strikes me as a lot more work for admins than before.

Most messages do not really need communicated mid day. Plan ahead.

Interesting how the talking points evolve. First, it was don’t worry about communicating with your kid because you can just communicate through the front office. So, now it is, actually what you have to say to your kid or your kid has to say to you is not all that important in our view so no need to communicate at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fully support a no phone policy and ask that schools enforce it. Up to them how to do it but there is no place for them during the school day, at all. I don’t want to hear the whining from admins. If the pouch makes them stop whining, fine.

Aren’t the admins now going to be tasked as the messengers going between kids and parents that can’t communicate directly? Strikes me as a lot more work for admins than before.

Most messages do not really need communicated mid day. Plan ahead.

Interesting how the talking points evolve. First, it was don’t worry about communicating with your kid because you can just communicate through the front office. So, now it is, actually what you have to say to your kid or your kid has to say to you is not all that important in our view so no need to communicate at all.

Lol, as opposed to:
1) My kid follows the rules, so they shouldn't be punished
2) It's handy for me to be able to contact them
3) It cost too much
4) But what if there's a school shooting?
5) The ever popular, but this should be the teacher's responsibility

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fully support a no phone policy and ask that schools enforce it. Up to them how to do it but there is no place for them during the school day, at all. I don’t want to hear the whining from admins. If the pouch makes them stop whining, fine.

Aren’t the admins now going to be tasked as the messengers going between kids and parents that can’t communicate directly? Strikes me as a lot more work for admins than before.

It's not that much more work. There haven't been significantly more phone calls than prior. I think most of the prior communication could have waited until after school or wasn't that important. Students used to show me their texts to their parents during class, and they would be things like "you forgot to pack ___ in my lunch" or the parents would text them, "Did you remember to feed the dog?" These are not emergencies and anyone would be embarrassed to call the office to share that.

The number of critical communications ("I cannot pick you up, please ride the bus") are quickly communicated to the students as they always were pre-cell phones.

--teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fully support a no phone policy and ask that schools enforce it. Up to them how to do it but there is no place for them during the school day, at all. I don’t want to hear the whining from admins. If the pouch makes them stop whining, fine.

Aren’t the admins now going to be tasked as the messengers going between kids and parents that can’t communicate directly? Strikes me as a lot more work for admins than before.

Most messages do not really need communicated mid day. Plan ahead.

Interesting how the talking points evolve. First, it was don’t worry about communicating with your kid because you can just communicate through the front office. So, now it is, actually what you have to say to your kid or your kid has to say to you is not all that important in our view so no need to communicate at all.

No, I think the point was important messages can be communicated through the front office but there are only so many important messages. How often are you contacting your kid during the school day??

DS is in HS with the phone pockets in each class but when he was in MS, there was an "away for the day" rule. I never had to communicate anything to him the entire two years. One time he asked a teacher if he could use his phone to text me -- he was excited to have received the highest grade in the class on a test. The teacher said it was fine (and also messaged me through Talking Points to tell me a) he allowed the phone usage and b) to tell me how impressed he was with my kid's performance in his class.

DD is at a Yondr school and she thinks this is no big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess I am surprised that we had to pay money for a technology solution when parents could simply be asked to help enforce the no phone policy by using the downtime feature on applicable phones.

Outreach with parents would be a lot cheaper than this.

My kid isn’t getting in trouble for having his phone out because I lock it down during school hours. An email from the principal suggesting this would probably be pretty effective.

You assume that all parents are middle class and well educated and care about what happens during the school day. They are not and do not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess I am surprised that we had to pay money for a technology solution when parents could simply be asked to help enforce the no phone policy by using the downtime feature on applicable phones.

Outreach with parents would be a lot cheaper than this.

My kid isn’t getting in trouble for having his phone out because I lock it down during school hours. An email from the principal suggesting this would probably be pretty effective.

You must not have a kid who is constantly working around parental controls....I don't either but I know kids who do.

When is the last time you tried to hack around the controls? I have tried. “Downtime” is pretty effective.

Not on an Android phone...

Great, most people don’t have those. The point is that there are tools that some parents can use to help the school system enforce the no phone policy. Maybe try socializing those and educating parents before spending more money on this.

Actually most people do have those. Android phones have over 70% of the market, sweetie pie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess I am surprised that we had to pay money for a technology solution when parents could simply be asked to help enforce the no phone policy by using the downtime feature on applicable phones.

Outreach with parents would be a lot cheaper than this.

My kid isn’t getting in trouble for having his phone out because I lock it down during school hours. An email from the principal suggesting this would probably be pretty effective.

You must not have a kid who is constantly working around parental controls....I don't either but I know kids who do.

When is the last time you tried to hack around the controls? I have tried. “Downtime” is pretty effective.

Not on an Android phone...

Great, most people don’t have those. The point is that there are tools that some parents can use to help the school system enforce the no phone policy. Maybe try socializing those and educating parents before spending more money on this.

Oh my god, get out of your stupid little rich girl bubble.
Actually most people do have those. You sound dumb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess I am surprised that we had to pay money for a technology solution when parents could simply be asked to help enforce the no phone policy by using the downtime feature on applicable phones.

Outreach with parents would be a lot cheaper than this.

My kid isn’t getting in trouble for having his phone out because I lock it down during school hours. An email from the principal suggesting this would probably be pretty effective.

You assume that all parents are middle class and well educated and care about what happens during the school day. They are not and do not.

You assume that I think all parents will help. Only some will, and that is helpful enough. No need NOT reach out and try to educate families.

Also, most parents care if they have to come to school to pick up the phone when a kid breaks the rules. So, maybe those parents will be incentivized to learn how to use the features they paid for when they bought the device.