MCPS cell phone restriction program shows promising changes, staff say

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Admin? Are they on their personal phones during school day? Does the ban or away program apply to them also?

You don’t see the difference between the administration and the kids not having access to phones? Come on.

My kids are at a school with this program and it works fine. Even my kids have said that there is so much less drama than last year. It took all of a week for them to get used to it and it’s a non issue now. I’m glad they are going to Rockville for high school. Kids don’t need access to phones in class. They just don’t.

Same at DC's middle school. It is so so much better. Kids griped for the first week or two and now it is a non-issue. I am seriously surprised at the parental opposition to this here.

[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.

I agree. But in BCC, all the teachers are supposed to be doing it. The principal announced it. So yes, her kid is flouting the rules if she is on her phone all day. Not sure why it bothers you to state the obvious.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do substitite teachers enforce no phones? Or are they also using theirs when they sub?

Probably not but this gives them something to do. These days education is a low priority compared to punishing kids and making schools more prison like.

Sounds like homeschooling is right for you. If you “worrrrk,” you can do it around your work schedule. If that means you need childcare, pay for it. Done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about Admin? Are they on their personal phones during school day? Does the ban or away program apply to them also?

[Anonymous]

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

If your kid follows the rules, they won’t have to confiscate anything. See how that works?

[Anonymous]

Presentation on the Away All Day pilot was presented in today's BOE meeting:

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Admin? Are they on their personal phones during school day? Does the ban or away program apply to them also?

You don’t see the difference between the administration and the kids not having access to phones? Come on.

My kids are at a school with this program and it works fine. Even my kids have said that there is so much less drama than last year. It took all of a week for them to get used to it and it’s a non issue now. I’m glad they are going to Rockville for high school. Kids don’t need access to phones in class. They just don’t.

Same at DC's middle school. It is so so much better. Kids griped for the first week or two and now it is a non-issue. I am seriously surprised at the parental opposition to this here.

Because getting into this dilutes the message that we need to be sending to MCPS - which is, please for the love of GOD, for the sake of ALL students, take away the phones!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Admin? Are they on their personal phones during school day? Does the ban or away program apply to them also?

You don’t see the difference between the administration and the kids not having access to phones? Come on.

My kids are at a school with this program and it works fine. Even my kids have said that there is so much less drama than last year. It took all of a week for them to get used to it and it’s a non issue now. I’m glad they are going to Rockville for high school. Kids don’t need access to phones in class. They just don’t.

Same at DC's middle school. It is so so much better. Kids griped for the first week or two and now it is a non-issue. I am seriously surprised at the parental opposition to this here.

Because getting into this dilutes the message that we need to be sending to MCPS - which is, please for the love of GOD, for the sake of ALL students, take away the phones!

Why are you sending a phone to school with your child? Monitor your own kid. With all the school violence phones are important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Presentation on the Away All Day pilot was presented in today's BOE meeting:

Do you know what time the presentation starts? TIA.

[Anonymous]

The fact that they are spending time and money of the school's budget to do these pilots and presentations is such a complete waste of time.

Every school class room should have a holder for phones. They can even make locked or coded ones if there is a fear of theft. Just stop wasting time and money and get it done MCPS. It isn't that hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Presentation on the Away All Day pilot was presented in today's BOE meeting:

The discussion starts at 2:15:50

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Admin? Are they on their personal phones during school day? Does the ban or away program apply to them also?

You don’t see the difference between the administration and the kids not having access to phones? Come on.

My kids are at a school with this program and it works fine. Even my kids have said that there is so much less drama than last year. It took all of a week for them to get used to it and it’s a non issue now. I’m glad they are going to Rockville for high school. Kids don’t need access to phones in class. They just don’t.

Same at DC's middle school. It is so so much better. Kids griped for the first week or two and now it is a non-issue. I am seriously surprised at the parental opposition to this here.

Because getting into this dilutes the message that we need to be sending to MCPS - which is, please for the love of GOD, for the sake of ALL students, take away the phones!

Why are you sending a phone to school with your child? Monitor your own kid. With all the school violence phones are important.

Phones cause more violence than they solve. And if there is a shooting, and your kid texts you, what are you going to do? If you text back and the phone lights up and gets her killed, how will you feel? If she misses a direction from a staff member bc she was texting you, and she gets killed, how will you feel?

This “but school shootings!” makes no sense to me. That’s exactly when your kid needs to have situational awareness and not have a distracting, beeping device in their pocket!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Admin? Are they on their personal phones during school day? Does the ban or away program apply to them also?

You don’t see the difference between the administration and the kids not having access to phones? Come on.

My kids are at a school with this program and it works fine. Even my kids have said that there is so much less drama than last year. It took all of a week for them to get used to it and it’s a non issue now. I’m glad they are going to Rockville for high school. Kids don’t need access to phones in class. They just don’t.

Same at DC's middle school. It is so so much better. Kids griped for the first week or two and now it is a non-issue. I am seriously surprised at the parental opposition to this here.

Because getting into this dilutes the message that we need to be sending to MCPS - which is, please for the love of GOD, for the sake of ALL students, take away the phones!

Why are you sending a phone to school with your child? Monitor your own kid. With all the school violence phones are important.

Phones cause more violence than they solve. And if there is a shooting, and your kid texts you, what are you going to do? If you text back and the phone lights up and gets her killed, how will you feel? If she misses a direction from a staff member bc she was texting you, and she gets killed, how will you feel?

This “but school shootings!” makes no sense to me. That’s exactly when your kid needs to have situational awareness and not have a distracting, beeping device in their pocket!

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Admin? Are they on their personal phones during school day? Does the ban or away program apply to them also?

You don’t see the difference between the administration and the kids not having access to phones? Come on.

My kids are at a school with this program and it works fine. Even my kids have said that there is so much less drama than last year. It took all of a week for them to get used to it and it’s a non issue now. I’m glad they are going to Rockville for high school. Kids don’t need access to phones in class. They just don’t.

Same at DC's middle school. It is so so much better. Kids griped for the first week or two and now it is a non-issue. I am seriously surprised at the parental opposition to this here.

Because getting into this dilutes the message that we need to be sending to MCPS - which is, please for the love of GOD, for the sake of ALL students, take away the phones!

Why are you sending a phone to school with your child? Monitor your own kid. With all the school violence phones are important.

Phones cause more violence than they solve. And if there is a shooting, and your kid texts you, what are you going to do? If you text back and the phone lights up and gets her killed, how will you feel? If she misses a direction from a staff member bc she was texting you, and she gets killed, how will you feel?

This “but school shootings!” makes no sense to me. That’s exactly when your kid needs to have situational awareness and not have a distracting, beeping device in their pocket!

The problem with your argument is that it assumes teachers and principals are well trained and capable of leading and commanding a group of terrified kids in the midst of a lockdown. As a parent at a school that recently had a lockdown, I can assure that's not the case. The teachers are just as confused and looking to their phones as the kids. MCPS has not trained teachers or principals to the level you're assuming to lead and control kids in these scenarios. It is far more often chaotic.

So in a chaotic, uncontrolled scenario, your kid might be better off having that phone and staying in contact with you.