Parents want kids to have their cell phones in class WTAF

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From a learning perspective phones in classrooms is absolutely a no. They are too distracting and not just for the kids using them -- every kid in the room is impacted by even one kid texting or scrolling during class. As a parent I want ZERO phone use in the classroom and I think phones should either be put in a bin at the beginning of class or required to be kept in those special pouches during class. I support teachers and schools in whatever they think they need to do to keep kids from accessing phones during class time

Some parents want their kids to have phones during the day and want to be able to text or call between classes. Personally this is not important to me because I trust our school to contact me if something is going on and also I WFH just a few blocks from the school so I don't feel the need to "check in" throughout the day. However if the parents who want this want to negotiate with schools about phone use between classes or during lunch or study periods that's fine. I won't even be giving my kid a phone until at least 14 so this is not really an issue for me at the elementary or middle school level.

But parents who want their kids to have access to phones outside of the classroom (but still in school) don't get to tell everyone else that this means their kids have to have access to phones IN the classroom. No. No phones in the classroom. If there was a lockdown or shooter situation kids could take the phones out of their pouches or out of the bin where teachers put them at the beginning of class.

Teachers keep telling us they don't want to do pouches or bins themselves. Admin puts too much liability on them when they tell teachers to do that.

As parents we should listen. There needs to be a solution that doesn't leave teachers liable.

What type of liability are you referencing? Phone gets taken from a pouch and teacher is liable for the loss? Teacher tries to get student to put phone in pouch and student argues/pushes back, putting teacher in unsafe position? Phones go in pouch, student doesn't have in an emergency?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like being able to communicate with my kid during the day. Make your own decision but don't then go to the school and force your decision on me.

Wow I guess the article is right. There are a ton of pro-phone parents

Yep. This is the reality. Parents cannot deal with being able to have constant immediate access to their child

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess I don’t get the point? When has there been a school shooting that 911 wasn’t called pretty much immediately?

Are parents thinking the cell phone will somehow save their child’s life? Some kids in Uvalde used their phones to call 911 but it didn’t help at all.

Are you just hoping your child will be distracted from lifesaving lockdown drill maneuvering so they can instead send you a potentially final text message?

Cell phones do not save the lives of kids in school shootings. Kids don’t need a cell phone when they are inside school attending classes. For the walk to and from, maybe sure.

Someday we will all look back on this experiment and wonder WTF we were thinking.

I think it's about notification then about dialing 911. Parents want to know immediately when there is an incident at school, not wait for the media to tell us. And if there is an emergency situation like that, a parent might want to be able to communicate with their child.

My kid was in a lockdown situation when they suspected someone in the school had a gun. DC was texting me about it. I wasn't panicking, but I was trying to soothe DC, though DC had friends who were comforting each other.

Having stated that, I would rather not have phones in class. I'm for the yondr pouches. I think having a phone in school does more harm than good.

School shootings are scary, but statistically still fairly low. Phones in school is an everyday occurrence, and and everyday distraction.

What kind of school do your kids go? I know 15 seconds after the first lighting strike that buses are being held since the kids can't board them.

I would imagine that different people have different circumstances, and are not all attending a school with immediate communication with parents. I have a relative whose 7 yo son was in a classroom when another student pulled out a gun "to show." The school never notified parents about it. My relative found out from her son, and then she contacted the school, who confirmed the incident. She did withdraw her child.

I would love for it to be the case that schools everywhere and always are on top of things, but there are too many stories where they aren't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, because some of us have kids in after school and other activities and need to coordinate. Schools don't have pay phones like ours did growing up. Unfortunately its a necessity at times.

This is an excuse for lazy planning.

Not really. 80% of the time I can be where I say I am going to be at the time I say I can. 20% of the time I have a meeting that runs long or something at work that requires me to pivot time/place of pickup or ask my kid to walk home or find another way. Imagine that not everyone has the same work or life circumstances!

How were such scenarios handled in the days before kids had cellphones? A trusted friend's parent picks the kid up and let's them know the change in plans. Or a phone call is made to the school office and they pass the message along to the kid.

Furthermore, your argument is not one for kids to have their cell phone IN CLASS, but rather that they can access it at the end of they day, or perhaps during lunch, etc. to be able to spend 30 seconds checking a message.

Well, in the before times, there were pay phones that could be accessed when school is closed. I would think that the school office is not going to be thrilled with (and is likely unable to be) the answering service for every student. Please be real.

The little bags should do the trick if you don't want phones in class. I am behind that. But it's a different world now, and everyone has to roll with the changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, because some of us have kids in after school and other activities and need to coordinate. Schools don't have pay phones like ours did growing up. Unfortunately its a necessity at times.

This is an excuse for lazy planning.

Not really. 80% of the time I can be where I say I am going to be at the time I say I can. 20% of the time I have a meeting that runs long or something at work that requires me to pivot time/place of pickup or ask my kid to walk home or find another way. Imagine that not everyone has the same work or life circumstances!

How were such scenarios handled in the days before kids had cellphones? A trusted friend's parent picks the kid up and let's them know the change in plans. Or a phone call is made to the school office and they pass the message along to the kid.

Furthermore, your argument is not one for kids to have their cell phone IN CLASS, but rather that they can access it at the end of they day, or perhaps during lunch, etc. to be able to spend 30 seconds checking a message.

Well, in the before times, there were pay phones that could be accessed when school is closed. I would think that the school office is not going to be thrilled with (and is likely unable to be) the answering service for every student. Please be real.

The little bags should do the trick if you don't want phones in class. I am behind that. But it's a different world now, and everyone has to roll with the changes.

In the before times plenty of students called parents from the main office and plenty of parents sent messages for students through the main office. We also have this new tool called emailed that can be used.

[Anonymous]

I agree with all the reasons why phones in school are bad, but for me it’s a matter of safety. School shootings don’t cross my mind, but of course, what a horror. Uvalde is case in point. My kid takes metro 40 mins away for school, and ranges around after school. It’s important that she’s reachable and I can track her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like being able to communicate with my kid during the day. Make your own decision but don't then go to the school and force your decision on me.

Wow I guess the article is right. There are a ton of pro-phone parents

Yep. This is the reality. Parents cannot deal with being able to have constant immediate access to their child

And we wonder why the younger generation has higher rates of anxiety and the inability to function independently.

[Anonymous]

Why can’t we go natural consequences here? Don’t pay attention? Get bad grades. No makeups, redos, or 50% floor grades.

Seems like a good solution to me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why can’t we go natural consequences here? Don’t pay attention? Get bad grades. No makeups, redos, or 50% floor grades.

Seems like a good solution to me!

Because funding is tied to both pass rates and butts in seats. I wish this wasn't the case because we spend a lot more energy coddling the ones who refuse to try than lifting up the kids who want to learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want phones out of school but I will say that when my kid's high school was on lockdown for an alleged shooter, I was glad she had it.

She was texting me from inside the classroom and sharing with me the info from her friends who were scattered throughout the school. I was sharing back what I was hearing and trying to comfort her.

The school is a huge building with many wings. If there is a shooter, kids inside could give each other and the cops an idea of where he is.

I realize that this is not a likely scenario, but playing devil's advocate for why phones could be beneficial.

The teachers could text each other and the police. No need for the kids to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can’t we go natural consequences here? Don’t pay attention? Get bad grades. No makeups, redos, or 50% floor grades.

Seems like a good solution to me!

Because funding is tied to both pass rates and butts in seats. I wish this wasn't the case because we spend a lot more energy coddling the ones who refuse to try than lifting up the kids who want to learn.

Then demote the kid who isn’t passing into a lower level class. Remember the SweatHogs!

[Anonymous]

Why don't they just do phone lockers at the front entrance of school? Kids can retrieve it at lunch and end of day. Kid holds the key to the locker.

If it's good enough for a SCIF, it's good enough for middle and high schools.

Also, more parents need Xanax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don't they just do phone lockers at the front entrance of school? Kids can retrieve it at lunch and end of day. Kid holds the key to the locker.

If it's good enough for a SCIF, it's good enough for middle and high schools.

Also, more parents need Xanax.

Parents definitely need Xanax. It is mostly about managing parents anxieties.

[Anonymous]

Teacher here. I’ve been shocked at how frequently parents call and text their kids during the school day. Parents are the worst offenders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don't they just do phone lockers at the front entrance of school? Kids can retrieve it at lunch and end of day. Kid holds the key to the locker.

If it's good enough for a SCIF, it's good enough for middle and high schools.

Also, more parents need Xanax.

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