MCPS cell phone restriction program shows promising changes, staff say

[Anonymous]

I can’t believe schools waited this long to crack down on it. They should have never been allowed in school to begin with.

[Anonymous]

My kid is on the phone at BCC throughout the day. I can see the hours. If she wasnt getting all A's I would take it away. All the kids are on the phones all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is on the phone at BCC throughout the day. I can see the hours. If she wasnt getting all A's I would take it away. All the kids are on the phones all day.

Straight As is not necessarily indicative of actual learning or mastery of material in MCPS. I would not base any decision on this on the grades earned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is on the phone at BCC throughout the day. I can see the hours. If she wasnt getting all A's I would take it away. All the kids are on the phones all day.

Straight As is not necessarily indicative of actual learning or mastery of material in MCPS. I would not base any decision on this on the grades earned.

Correct. Grade inflation in MCPS is real. A's don't mean what parents think they mean anymore.

See this thread: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1230221.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why was a pilot program needed by MCPS for this anyway? There is a ton of research out there about the harmful effects of phones on teens and young children. Many states have a strict ban on cell phones in schools. Private schools mostly ban cell phones in classrooms and are strict about it. MCPS is dragging their feet because they have no idea how to impose consequences that are consistently applied. Such a joke!

I disagree. I think they are dragging their feet because there are so many parents who oppose it--case in point, this thread. I'll be honest, I was very hesitant as I didn't feel safe without a way to contact my child during the day but I was wrong to oppose it because there have been far greater benefits at my kids' school with the program. I think they needed to show that there was actual evidence in our county that it works. And it does. Is it perfect? No. But from my experience, the good far outweighs the bad. And the kids adjust really easily.

Why do parents need to teach their kids during the day? I think this is another big issue. A bunch of coddled whiny ass kids complaining to mommy and daddy or asking for favors.

None of us reached our parents during the school day and even when we got home, calling a parent at work? The house better be on fire!

We are crippling our kids autonomy, criticism thinking
skills, grit, patience, and need for Independence. That is on top of the complete lack of focus for the teachers and schoolwork AND the complete lack of interpersonal and social skills needed at school with their peers right in front of them.

There is zero need for phones in school. You all just can’t admit that you are as addicted and it shows.

While sometimes we feel the country is going back to the 20th century, no need to continue to write about what you and I had in our dino years. This is another generation. It's like parents talking about college applying process and admission stories (no Larla can't get into U Mich as easily as you did in the 80s ok) or talking about when they wore braces with a headgear to their teen who has only worn invisalign.

But this was every generation prior since the beginning of mankind.

Kids don’t need to contact parents during the school day. And if they do, they go to office and ask.

Do you think kids are only contacting their mommy during the day? Lolz

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why was a pilot program needed by MCPS for this anyway? There is a ton of research out there about the harmful effects of phones on teens and young children. Many states have a strict ban on cell phones in schools. Private schools mostly ban cell phones in classrooms and are strict about it. MCPS is dragging their feet because they have no idea how to impose consequences that are consistently applied. Such a joke!

I disagree. I think they are dragging their feet because there are so many parents who oppose it--case in point, this thread. I'll be honest, I was very hesitant as I didn't feel safe without a way to contact my child during the day but I was wrong to oppose it because there have been far greater benefits at my kids' school with the program. I think they needed to show that there was actual evidence in our county that it works. And it does. Is it perfect? No. But from my experience, the good far outweighs the bad. And the kids adjust really easily.

Why do parents need to teach their kids during the day? I think this is another big issue. A bunch of coddled whiny ass kids complaining to mommy and daddy or asking for favors.

None of us reached our parents during the school day and even when we got home, calling a parent at work? The house better be on fire!

We are crippling our kids autonomy, criticism thinking
skills, grit, patience, and need for Independence. That is on top of the complete lack of focus for the teachers and schoolwork AND the complete lack of interpersonal and social skills needed at school with their peers right in front of them.

There is zero need for phones in school. You all just can’t admit that you are as addicted and it shows.

While sometimes we feel the country is going back to the 20th century, no need to continue to write about what you and I had in our dino years. This is another generation. It's like parents talking about college applying process and admission stories (no Larla can't get into U Mich as easily as you did in the 80s ok) or talking about when they wore braces with a headgear to their teen who has only worn invisalign.

But this was every generation prior since the beginning of mankind.

Kids don’t need to contact parents during the school day. And if they do, they go to office and ask.

Do you think kids are only contacting their mommy during the day? Lolz

No idiot but that is the excuses the parents are using. My kid needs to be able to reach me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is at eastern and doesn't seem to mind the plan. They don't check during the school day anyway. We do text but only when the pick up situation changes since we're in Bethesda. I'm all for collecting phones. Too distracting. And for anyone bit**ing and moaning remember when your kid was in ES? You just call the school/email the teacher if something comes up. It is fine and the world hasn't ended.

Same for my 8th grade kid at NBMS. Doesn't mind the plan at all.

How does your Eastern child feel today after cell phone collection?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why was a pilot program needed by MCPS for this anyway? There is a ton of research out there about the harmful effects of phones on teens and young children. Many states have a strict ban on cell phones in schools. Private schools mostly ban cell phones in classrooms and are strict about it. MCPS is dragging their feet because they have no idea how to impose consequences that are consistently applied. Such a joke!

I disagree. I think they are dragging their feet because there are so many parents who oppose it--case in point, this thread. I'll be honest, I was very hesitant as I didn't feel safe without a way to contact my child during the day but I was wrong to oppose it because there have been far greater benefits at my kids' school with the program. I think they needed to show that there was actual evidence in our county that it works. And it does. Is it perfect? No. But from my experience, the good far outweighs the bad. And the kids adjust really easily.

Why do parents need to teach their kids during the day? I think this is another big issue. A bunch of coddled whiny ass kids complaining to mommy and daddy or asking for favors.

None of us reached our parents during the school day and even when we got home, calling a parent at work? The house better be on fire!

We are crippling our kids autonomy, criticism thinking
skills, grit, patience, and need for Independence. That is on top of the complete lack of focus for the teachers and schoolwork AND the complete lack of interpersonal and social skills needed at school with their peers right in front of them.

There is zero need for phones in school. You all just can’t admit that you are as addicted and it shows.

While sometimes we feel the country is going back to the 20th century, no need to continue to write about what you and I had in our dino years. This is another generation. It's like parents talking about college applying process and admission stories (no Larla can't get into U Mich as easily as you did in the 80s ok) or talking about when they wore braces with a headgear to their teen who has only worn invisalign.

But this was every generation prior since the beginning of mankind.

Kids don’t need to contact parents during the school day. And if they do, they go to office and ask.

Do you think kids are only contacting their mommy during the day? Lolz

No idiot but that is the excuses the parents are using. My kid needs to be able to reach me

Then your kid can go to the office to call you.

[Anonymous]

Quit with the name calling!

This is such good thing.

All high school kids are on their phones all day. It is a serious problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Quit with the name calling!

This is such good thing.

All high school kids are on their phones all day. It is a serious problem.

Middle schoolers too and many 4/5th graders in elementary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is illegal to confiscate private property. These busy bodies need to mind their beeswax!

My kids are in a school with this program. Teachers provide pouches/containers for phones - no one is confiscating anything.

One of the most interesting things was that the teachers said the people who send kids the most texts during the day? Parents. That made a lot of sense to me - kids see each other during the day. It made me stop and assess my own behavior.

I think this is somewhat true. I caught myself sending my son a text yesterday and decided to wait until lunch. I don’t usually initiate texts but he will send me a text on the way to school and by the time I see it he is in class. I tend to just respond right away. Same when he texts me at lunchtime. By the time I see it, lunch has ended. His texts are often related to after school plans or an academic issue so I do want to respond. Of course sometimes they are simply him sharing something funny or good that happened that day. His school has no cell phone ban but I know a few teachers require the kids to put their phones out of sight during call and if caught will ask them to bring them to the front of the room where there’s a place to stow them. That seems reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is on the phone at BCC throughout the day. I can see the hours. If she wasnt getting all A's I would take it away. All the kids are on the phones all day.

When I went to back to school night this year, every teacher had a system for putting phones away. It sounds like your kid isn’t following the rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is on the phone at BCC throughout the day. I can see the hours. If she wasnt getting all A's I would take it away. All the kids are on the phones all day.

When I went to back to school night this year, every teacher had a system for putting phones away. It sounds like your kid isn’t following the rules.

This varies by teacher, even in "good" schools. High school kids are all on their phones all day. It is a serious problem and stooping to name calling and parent shaming (see "your kid isn't following the rules") only dilutes our messaging as parents. We need to get phones out of the classrooms. Full stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is on the phone at BCC throughout the day. I can see the hours. If she wasnt getting all A's I would take it away. All the kids are on the phones all day.

When I went to back to school night this year, every teacher had a system for putting phones away. It sounds like your kid isn’t following the rules.

It sounds like a parenting issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is on the phone at BCC throughout the day. I can see the hours. If she wasnt getting all A's I would take it away. All the kids are on the phones all day.

When I went to back to school night this year, every teacher had a system for putting phones away. It sounds like your kid isn’t following the rules.

This varies by teacher, even in "good" schools. High school kids are all on their phones all day. It is a serious problem and stooping to name calling and parent shaming (see "your kid isn't following the rules") only dilutes our messaging as parents. We need to get phones out of the classrooms. Full stop.

Good schools is code for wealthier parents, in this case checked out wealthier parents who expect the schools to parent their kids.