I’ve held my tongue on this but there are some really out of touch people on here.

If you haven”t had a child call you from a closet at school saying they’ve been told there is someone with a gun outside, shut up about phones. My son called to say he loved us and needed to know what to do. MCPS let them sit for hours with no info. Parents texting students was the only source of info they got. Even when they were safe, MCPS told them nothing. Intercoms were broken and MCPS was busy talking to the media while kids and teachers were crying and praying for hours.

If you don’t want your child to have a phone, don’t send one but leave my kid alone.

My child is not disruptive and manages his phone use well. I want to be able to communicate during an emergency.

In middle school he called to say a kid who was bullying him threatened to kill him. His counselor said to try to be friends. He was scared and school would not help.

Honestly, we know cell phones can be bad. Bullying and school shootings are worse. It really is that simple.

Lay off the kids with the phones and focus on stopping those Republicans who don’t care if our kids get shot because the NRA controls their political careers.

If you don’t think phones are helpful in an emergency you simply aren’t that bright and I’m done trying to explain it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm teaching a fifth grade class right now and four or five students already have their phones out and I can't do anything about it, really. It does make teaching considerably harder.

Why can't you take the phone away from them until dismissal?

You can set up parental controls so the phone is limited to emergency calls during school hours. Not sure why you want MCPS to parent your kids.

Exactly, but the "ban all phones" crowd just wants to impose their puritanical beliefs on everyone else, even though the simple act of using parental controls.

I don't understand why these people can't be bothered to do the most basic parenting.

Because most parents don't. And then the ones that don't create all kinds of problems for teachers trying to keep kids focused on learning and not using phones

I asked one class today what is more important in the morning: phone use or eating breakfast? They said smartphone. I then said this is the same question I ask to students who smoke cigarettes to see if they are addicted. Shocked Pikachu faces….

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm teaching a fifth grade class right now and four or five students already have their phones out and I can't do anything about it, really. It does make teaching considerably harder.

Why can't you take the phone away from them until dismissal?

You can set up parental controls so the phone is limited to emergency calls during school hours. Not sure why you want MCPS to parent your kids.

Please for the love of God stop!

Stop!

We all know phones are terribly addictive. Listen to the teachers who say they make teaching/learning so hard.

Ban the phones in high school. Everything would improve. Kids would talk to each other again. Now there are teens with hoods up and masks on and earbuds in who are so incredibly disengaged.

We know the right thing to do. Parents, please encourage your schools to do it!

Kids need phones for safety. It’s not like there are pay phones.

No, they don’t. You sound absolutely paranoid. No wonder kids are so screwed up these days.

It really doesn't matter what you think. You aren't in charge of MY kid. Stop trying to force your crazy Ludite views on everyone.

When YOUR kid is in a public school building, they are to abide by school rules. Admin is in charge of your kid. The educators in the building are in charge of your kid. If phones are banned, your kid doesn't get to have one. Don't like it? Move districts, go to private, or homeschool. Calling people Ludites won't get you anywhere, but it sure does make you look like an immature 12 year old.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm teaching a fifth grade class right now and four or five students already have their phones out and I can't do anything about it, really. It does make teaching considerably harder.

Why can't you take the phone away from them until dismissal?

You can set up parental controls so the phone is limited to emergency calls during school hours. Not sure why you want MCPS to parent your kids.

Please for the love of God stop!

Stop!

We all know phones are terribly addictive. Listen to the teachers who say they make teaching/learning so hard.

Ban the phones in high school. Everything would improve. Kids would talk to each other again. Now there are teens with hoods up and masks on and earbuds in who are so incredibly disengaged.

We know the right thing to do. Parents, please encourage your schools to do it!

Kids need phones for safety. It’s not like there are pay phones.

This is false. Your child does not need a phone … in my English classroom! At lunch! It’s parents like you that make me sigh- we will never be able to enforce a ban on phones in schools if you cling to this nonsense. There is a phone in the office. Adults in the buildings are walking around carrying phones. Your STUDENT does not need a phone at school. Full stop.

It's true and would've helped shed light on many of the MCPS "cover ups".

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm teaching a fifth grade class right now and four or five students already have their phones out and I can't do anything about it, really. It does make teaching considerably harder.

Why can't you take the phone away from them until dismissal?

You can set up parental controls so the phone is limited to emergency calls during school hours. Not sure why you want MCPS to parent your kids.

Please for the love of God stop!

Stop!

We all know phones are terribly addictive. Listen to the teachers who say they make teaching/learning so hard.

Ban the phones in high school. Everything would improve. Kids would talk to each other again. Now there are teens with hoods up and masks on and earbuds in who are so incredibly disengaged.

We know the right thing to do. Parents, please encourage your schools to do it!

Kids need phones for safety. It’s not like there are pay phones.

No, they don’t. You sound absolutely paranoid. No wonder kids are so screwed up these days.

It really doesn't matter what you think. You aren't in charge of MY kid. Stop trying to force your crazy Ludite views on everyone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm teaching a fifth grade class right now and four or five students already have their phones out and I can't do anything about it, really. It does make teaching considerably harder.

Why can't you take the phone away from them until dismissal?

You can set up parental controls so the phone is limited to emergency calls during school hours. Not sure why you want MCPS to parent your kids.

Please for the love of God stop!

Stop!

We all know phones are terribly addictive. Listen to the teachers who say they make teaching/learning so hard.

Ban the phones in high school. Everything would improve. Kids would talk to each other again. Now there are teens with hoods up and masks on and earbuds in who are so incredibly disengaged.

We know the right thing to do. Parents, please encourage your schools to do it!

Kids need phones for safety. It’s not like there are pay phones.

This is false. Your child does not need a phone … in my English classroom! At lunch! It’s parents like you that make me sigh- we will never be able to enforce a ban on phones in schools if you cling to this nonsense. There is a phone in the office. Adults in the buildings are walking around carrying phones. Your STUDENT does not need a phone at school. Full stop.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm teaching a fifth grade class right now and four or five students already have their phones out and I can't do anything about it, really. It does make teaching considerably harder.

Why can't you take the phone away from them until dismissal?

You can set up parental controls so the phone is limited to emergency calls during school hours. Not sure why you want MCPS to parent your kids.

Exactly, but the "ban all phones" crowd just wants to impose their puritanical beliefs on everyone else, even though the simple act of using parental controls.

I don't understand why these people can't be bothered to do the most basic parenting.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm teaching a fifth grade class right now and four or five students already have their phones out and I can't do anything about it, really. It does make teaching considerably harder.

Why can't you take the phone away from them until dismissal?

You can set up parental controls so the phone is limited to emergency calls during school hours. Not sure why you want MCPS to parent your kids.

Please for the love of God stop!

Stop!

We all know phones are terribly addictive. Listen to the teachers who say they make teaching/learning so hard.

Ban the phones in high school. Everything would improve. Kids would talk to each other again. Now there are teens with hoods up and masks on and earbuds in who are so incredibly disengaged.

We know the right thing to do. Parents, please encourage your schools to do it!

Kids need phones for safety. It’s not like there are pay phones.

How does having a cell phone in school make kids safer?

You are being deliberately obtuse. Do you go walking around or driving around with no phone to call 911 in an emergency?

Yes. I often go to places I know without my cell phone and on long walks without it too. Because I hate feeling tied to a device and I like the feeling I get without it. You should try it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We didn’t need cellphones growing up . . . we had access to the office system or in some cases there was one in the classrooms. (Rare.) I’m hard pressed to imagine a situation that would justify having them around, when social incidents are on the rise, and test scores are being impacted.

Also in a mass emergency having phones can be a detriment of everyone is trying to use them at the same time the cell tower jams up.

When our school went on lockdown. Every single student and teacher started using a phone. The school wi-if slowed to a crawl. Most were not using it to send messages for help…

Anonymous wrote:We didn’t need cellphones growing up . . . we had access to the office system or in some cases there was one in the classrooms. (Rare.) I’m hard pressed to imagine a situation that would justify having them around, when social incidents are on the rise, and test scores are being impacted.

Also in a mass emergency having phones can be a detriment of everyone is trying to use them at the same time the cell tower jams up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm teaching a fifth grade class right now and four or five students already have their phones out and I can't do anything about it, really. It does make teaching considerably harder.

Why can't you take the phone away from them until dismissal?

You can set up parental controls so the phone is limited to emergency calls during school hours. Not sure why you want MCPS to parent your kids.

Not all parents are willing and kids can get around the controls.

Teachers need to tell the kids to put away the phones or contact the parents.

At kids school a parent told staff that since she pays for the phone she can allow her kid to do whatever she wants with it. Including allowing her daughter to msketiktojs in the bathroom.

Forget the kids. Parents are built different these days. Kids are just responding to what is allowed and modeled for them.

I'm trying to hold off on my kid getting a phone until middle school at least. Feels like a losing battle

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm teaching a fifth grade class right now and four or five students already have their phones out and I can't do anything about it, really. It does make teaching considerably harder.

Why can't you take the phone away from them until dismissal?

You can set up parental controls so the phone is limited to emergency calls during school hours. Not sure why you want MCPS to parent your kids.

Please for the love of God stop!

Stop!

We all know phones are terribly addictive. Listen to the teachers who say they make teaching/learning so hard.

Ban the phones in high school. Everything would improve. Kids would talk to each other again. Now there are teens with hoods up and masks on and earbuds in who are so incredibly disengaged.

We know the right thing to do. Parents, please encourage your schools to do it!

Kids need phones for safety. It’s not like there are pay phones.

How does having a cell phone in school make kids safer?

You are being deliberately obtuse. Do you go walking around or driving around with no phone to call 911 in an emergency?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm teaching a fifth grade class right now and four or five students already have their phones out and I can't do anything about it, really. It does make teaching considerably harder.

Why can't you take the phone away from them until dismissal?

You can set up parental controls so the phone is limited to emergency calls during school hours. Not sure why you want MCPS to parent your kids.

Please for the love of God stop!

Stop!

We all know phones are terribly addictive. Listen to the teachers who say they make teaching/learning so hard.

Ban the phones in high school. Everything would improve. Kids would talk to each other again. Now there are teens with hoods up and masks on and earbuds in who are so incredibly disengaged.

We know the right thing to do. Parents, please encourage your schools to do it!

Kids need phones for safety. It’s not like there are pay phones.

How does having a cell phone in school make kids safer?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm teaching a fifth grade class right now and four or five students already have their phones out and I can't do anything about it, really. It does make teaching considerably harder.

Why can't you take the phone away from them until dismissal?

You can set up parental controls so the phone is limited to emergency calls during school hours. Not sure why you want MCPS to parent your kids.

Please for the love of God stop!

Stop!

We all know phones are terribly addictive. Listen to the teachers who say they make teaching/learning so hard.

Ban the phones in high school. Everything would improve. Kids would talk to each other again. Now there are teens with hoods up and masks on and earbuds in who are so incredibly disengaged.

We know the right thing to do. Parents, please encourage your schools to do it!

Kids need phones for safety. It’s not like there are pay phones.

No, they don’t. You sound absolutely paranoid. No wonder kids are so screwed up these days.