Before the pandemic, I remember beung shocked when I began working at an mcps high scbool (rockville)- about half the class in the."honors classes" had their phones out. Sometimes they would get up to charge them as the teacher spoke. In the AP classes it was about 25 percent of the kids. I'm sure it's just gotten worse since then. We are raising a generation of total idiots.

Enough already with the phones in schools! Sign our new petition to support a full-on culture shift in DMV schools. It's gotta happen to get our kids back on track: https://www.change.org/p/phone-free-dmv-schoo...cation=psf_petitions

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Attend any meeting with adults and you see the same issue - adults in meetings and some percentage on their phone unless they are speaking.

Most meetings are boring and pointless and could have been an email.

Sure, a email works for transactional detail/information. But when the point is to hear what people have to say, there’s actually value to being together.

Anonymous wrote:Attend any meeting with adults and you see the same issue - adults in meetings and some percentage on their phone unless they are speaking.

Most meetings are boring and pointless and could have been an email.

Attend any meeting with adults and you see the same issue - adults in meetings and some percentage on their phone unless they are speaking.

Phones are not a problem for a lot of kids. But with most things, a few bad apples ruin the whole bunch and schools have to impose draconian rules on everyone because of it. No wonder good kids are so desperate to finish high school - so they can finally not be presumed guilty all the time. Between the cell phone policies and the locked bathroom, it’s so insulting to kids who have done nothing wrong and are just trying to get an education.

Sucky kids suck.

Is this yet another screen gripe where everyone circle-wrings their hands?

Very productive.

Adults are addicted to their phones, and kids follow suit. It's not going to be get better unless you push your school to ban phones and enforce strict consequences, and vote to enact laws that ban social media for minors below a certain age. Public schools will never be able to effectively enforce bans, FYI.

But if you're just venting here on a Friday... well fat lot of good that will do!

It's only a major problem if you choose to make it one, OP. My college kid didn't take his phone out unless to take photos of lecture notes. My youngest's phone hardly works (I knew that when I gave it to her - feature, not bug).
They're all good kids who understand academics are a priority.

At some point you have to educate your kids.

Let’s not blame the teachers for this. They are not backed up by their administrations and there are no real punishments anymore. There is nothing they can hold over students to make them stop.

I drive past 1 MS and 1 HS on the way to work.

I usually see kids walking with their heads bowed, staring at their phones, on the way to both schools.

Same with the kids at the bus stops.

Anonymous wrote:My DW teaches at a FCPS MS. She says cell phones haven’t been too big of an issue. They get confiscated if they are out during class.

Phones are a major problem throughout FCPS.

Some kids Kirk out if they can’t use their phone. I have seen students have total meltdowns, power struggles, walk out of classroom and refuse to go back to class. I had one curse me out, walk to the front office, and demand to get picked up by a parent.

My DW teaches at a FCPS MS. She says cell phones haven’t been too big of an issue. They get confiscated if they are out during class.

My kids go to a MCPS high school. They claim they put their phones away during class and only pull them out to listen to music during individual work. I HATE that teachers allow cell phones to be used. I tell my kids to not use them but I'm not in the room with them to enforce. Is this an issue for your MCPS high schoolers?

"72% of U.S. high school teachers say cellphone distraction is a *major problem* in the classroom"

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/06/12/72-percent-of-us-high-school-teachers-say-cellphone-distraction-is-a-major-problem-in-the-classroom/