Anonymous
Post 04/11/2025 09:36     Subject: Cell phone lock pouches pilot program
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Burner phone = easy work around


This is what’s happening. They can literally put anything in the pouch and lock it up for the day and keep their phone. It doesn’t even need to be a burner phone. A case, an old calculator, nothing, a rock. Really, no one is checking the punches by this time in the year.


In a previous district I taught in, we could send kids to the office to leave their phone there is we saw it out during class. First offense, the kid got it back at the end of the day. Second offense, the parent had to come get it. I believe after that in addition to the parent coming to get the phone, there were after school detentions and ISS.

Phones are a HUGE issue (kids do some awful stuff to each other with phones), but I think the above works better than the pouches. Admin just had to be willing to go toe to toe with parents on it.


This is what our private does, except parents have to come at every offense. Number of cell phone offenses plummeted.

But they have noted that the number of laptop mis-use offenses increased. Not quite enough to make up the gap, but a lot.


Yes, laptops are definitely an issue as well. I try to only use them when computer use actually adds something to the lesson . . . like choice boards or longer writing assignments. I'm constantly on kids telling them close their laptops unless I have told them they can use them. They grumble, but they close them. There are things that can combat this to some extent. Old-fashioned seating arrangements with kids all facing the same way so you can see all the screens from the back of the room and monitoring software. I'm constantly moving to monitor and help students. Also, while things can still get through the school filters, it is better than the unfiltered internet kids have on their phones. While I haven't done this, I've had colleagues share their screen on the Smartboard that shows what every student in the class has on their computer. I could see this backfiring with some students though, so I don't do that. Nothing is going to be foolproof, but there are things teachers and schools can do. Admin support is huge, though. You have to have admin who are not afraid of parents.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2025 08:52     Subject: Cell phone lock pouches pilot program
Anonymous wrote:I wish parents would parent and not let their kids take phones to school. The complete abdication of parental responsibility keep falling on schools.


Modern parenting:

My kid at School A observes during the school day that my nephew at School B ten miles away is internet gaming during presumably instructional time.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2025 08:48     Subject: Cell phone lock pouches pilot program
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Cell phone use is very much a problem in middle and high school. My child has observed kids using cell phones to cheat on tests, to watch videos during class time, to take photos and videos of other students and use AI to make it seem as though other students are saying/doing bad things. One child refused to put her phone away, saying her parent was texting her and it was important, and thus texted all through class. Teachers shouldn't have to put up with all that.

I don't think parents fully know everything their kids are doing on cellphones. It's great if one parent monitors their child's cellphone use, but there are 20-30 kids in a class and the majority of parents are not paying attention to what their kids are doing.

My child's in a high school where they put the cell phones in what looks like a shoe organizer hanging on the door. My child has said that the program, while not perfect, has helped with kids paying more attention in school. I like that my child is no longer distracted by kids watching cell phone videos during test time. I like that there are fewer instances of teachers having to waste teaching time arguing with students over cell phones.


+1
They don't need to waste $$$ on these stupid pouches - just put all phones in the shoe organizer, or bin, or container of some sort. Phones should all be off or muted. Kids can pick them up at the end of class. For the life of me, I can't understand why this wasn't implemented YEARS ago.


Teachers repeatedly explained on this board they were worried about phone theft or damage and being liable. If admin would back them up, they said, it would be fine.

I'm not a teacher, just repeating what was typed over and over again.

I have a friend in FCCPS who has been successfully doing the shoe holder thing for a decade.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2025 08:47     Subject: Cell phone lock pouches pilot program
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Burner phone = easy work around


This is what’s happening. They can literally put anything in the pouch and lock it up for the day and keep their phone. It doesn’t even need to be a burner phone. A case, an old calculator, nothing, a rock. Really, no one is checking the punches by this time in the year.


In a previous district I taught in, we could send kids to the office to leave their phone there is we saw it out during class. First offense, the kid got it back at the end of the day. Second offense, the parent had to come get it. I believe after that in addition to the parent coming to get the phone, there were after school detentions and ISS.

Phones are a HUGE issue (kids do some awful stuff to each other with phones), but I think the above works better than the pouches. Admin just had to be willing to go toe to toe with parents on it.


This is what our private does, except parents have to come at every offense. Number of cell phone offenses plummeted.

But they have noted that the number of laptop mis-use offenses increased. Not quite enough to make up the gap, but a lot.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2025 08:46     Subject: Cell phone lock pouches pilot program
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:God I hope not our school. My child has zero issues with phone use. We don’t want pouches.


Good for your child, but it’s literally a problem at every single school and it needs to be implemented at every high school. It’s taking away valuable time from kids learning and create so many social issues.


No it doesn’t. If your kid can’t put down the phone at school, maybe you shouldn’t allow your child to bring their phone to school.



You’re an absolute fool if you think you’re precious snowflake isn’t using their phone at inappropriate times at school.


I know mine isn't because what middle schooler needs a phone. It's a want, and a very distracting one with no upsides.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2025 08:38     Subject: Cell phone lock pouches pilot program
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Burner phone = easy work around


This is what’s happening. They can literally put anything in the pouch and lock it up for the day and keep their phone. It doesn’t even need to be a burner phone. A case, an old calculator, nothing, a rock. Really, no one is checking the punches by this time in the year.


In a previous district I taught in, we could send kids to the office to leave their phone there is we saw it out during class. First offense, the kid got it back at the end of the day. Second offense, the parent had to come get it. I believe after that in addition to the parent coming to get the phone, there were after school detentions and ISS.

Phones are a HUGE issue (kids do some awful stuff to each other with phones), but I think the above works better than the pouches. Admin just had to be willing to go toe to toe with parents on it.


Agree. If schools can discipline, don’t need pouches. If can’t discipline, pouches won’t make any difference.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2025 20:49     Subject: Cell phone lock pouches pilot program
Anonymous wrote:have they hired staff to unlock the pouches at the end of the day? They have something like 10 minutes to get all the pouches open before the busses leave.


Has not been a problem at all at our middle school. The kids do it themselves. There are several unlocking devices on the wall and it takes two seconds.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2025 20:45     Subject: Cell phone lock pouches pilot program
Anonymous wrote:Cell phone use is very much a problem in middle and high school. My child has observed kids using cell phones to cheat on tests, to watch videos during class time, to take photos and videos of other students and use AI to make it seem as though other students are saying/doing bad things. One child refused to put her phone away, saying her parent was texting her and it was important, and thus texted all through class. Teachers shouldn't have to put up with all that.

I don't think parents fully know everything their kids are doing on cellphones. It's great if one parent monitors their child's cellphone use, but there are 20-30 kids in a class and the majority of parents are not paying attention to what their kids are doing.

My child's in a high school where they put the cell phones in what looks like a shoe organizer hanging on the door. My child has said that the program, while not perfect, has helped with kids paying more attention in school. I like that my child is no longer distracted by kids watching cell phone videos during test time. I like that there are fewer instances of teachers having to waste teaching time arguing with students over cell phones.


+1
They don't need to waste $$$ on these stupid pouches - just put all phones in the shoe organizer, or bin, or container of some sort. Phones should all be off or muted. Kids can pick them up at the end of class. For the life of me, I can't understand why this wasn't implemented YEARS ago.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2025 20:39     Subject: Cell phone lock pouches pilot program
I wish parents would parent and not let their kids take phones to school. The complete abdication of parental responsibility keep falling on schools.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2025 20:33     Subject: Cell phone lock pouches pilot program
There's been a lot of community engagement around this program and through the grapevine the feedback about it has been overwhelming positive. Not sure how that feedback is weighted vs. people's posts here on DCUM but I'm guessing something like 100% community feedback, 0% DCUM? I'd expect the program to be expanded next year, but also not all HS implement it exactly the same way, some aspects work better in some environments than others.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2025 18:23     Subject: Cell phone lock pouches pilot program
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Burner phone = easy work around


This is what’s happening. They can literally put anything in the pouch and lock it up for the day and keep their phone. It doesn’t even need to be a burner phone. A case, an old calculator, nothing, a rock. Really, no one is checking the punches by this time in the year.


In a previous district I taught in, we could send kids to the office to leave their phone there is we saw it out during class. First offense, the kid got it back at the end of the day. Second offense, the parent had to come get it. I believe after that in addition to the parent coming to get the phone, there were after school detentions and ISS.

Phones are a HUGE issue (kids do some awful stuff to each other with phones), but I think the above works better than the pouches. Admin just had to be willing to go toe to toe with parents on it.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2025 18:05     Subject: Cell phone lock pouches pilot program
18:03 again and I teach at a school that has one of the shoe holder like devices and the kids are putting the above in them. I know at this point and don’t care anymore. Many follow the rules. Some don’t.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2025 18:03     Subject: Cell phone lock pouches pilot program
Anonymous wrote:Burner phone = easy work around


This is what’s happening. They can literally put anything in the pouch and lock it up for the day and keep their phone. It doesn’t even need to be a burner phone. A case, an old calculator, nothing, a rock. Really, no one is checking the punches by this time in the year.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2025 17:16     Subject: Cell phone lock pouches pilot program
Anonymous wrote:Burner phone = easy work around


Fishing magnets. Such a waste of expense because kids that aren’t going to follow rules now wouldn’t follow at additional cost to FCPS. Waste of $.
Anonymous
Post 04/10/2025 17:14     Subject: Re:Cell phone lock pouches pilot program
With budget cuts from county and FCPS where results are to be no middle school clubs, cuts to HS and more, will be shameful if FCPS pays millions to yet another 3rd party and this time for pouches - if just implemented at HS, with 50,000 students at $30 a pouch, that’s $1.5 million- then more if add MS. The pouch, which has already been proven out in other states to NOT be the deterrent hoped for (not to mention SO many online videos for workarounds). Don’t spend the $ and allow schools to discipline. Not debating phones in school, but absolutely against FCPS paying 3rd party for pouches that will not solve the problem and only take more $ away.