Anonymous
08/14/2025 09:27
Subject: Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition
Banning phones in a technology revolved world is an absolutely terrible idea đź’€
Anonymous
08/14/2025 08:33
Subject: Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!
How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?
HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.
The problem is students just use their school computer to do this. FCPS currenttechnology controls are useless. Students know how to disable lightspeed, use proxy servers, and use school email to bully, Snapchat, buy/sell vapes, and more. The cellphone ban is an excellent start. Parents should not send phones to school. FCPS needs better tech controls and monitoring. This generation is suffering with learning and mental health because of technology dangers.
It is super easy for me to say it’s a paper/pencil day and we aren’t using laptops at all. I rarely have kids on devices in my room.
But even when I do, 90% of kids are using computers for schoolwork. 2% of kids were using their phones in the same manner.
90% of kids are NOT using their school computer for schoolwork. What grade levels do you teach? The middle school school kids have block scheduling, do the work with plenty of time to spare, then get on computers to stream, use social media, and email. And then they take the computers home for more tech access, which parents falsely assume is safe. The FCPS technology controls don’t work.
High school.
It is obvious when they aren’t doing work on their laptops and I take it and hand them a paper version.
To clarify: You are arguing that students shouldn’t have access to school laptops at home because parents aren’t paying attention to what their kids are doing? Parents have access to light speed reports, do they not?
The parent lightspeed report isn't that helpful. It shows domains. Often those domains are ads on websites that the teachers sent my kids' to, because FCPS doesn't do a good job of blocking ads (seriously, would using something like a Pi Hole as the DNS server to block trackers and ads really be that hard?), which makes it hard to find the things my kids really did.
NP: you can send websites to the tech people and they will quickly block them.
But really, this sounds like an individual problem. You need to reinforce behaviors with your kids and monitor them at home if you cannot trust them, just as if it were a personal device.
The number of parents of ES kids who have told me that they have found their kid was watching porn or inappropriate videos on their school laptops is high. My son has told me some of what his classmates are watching. The protections on these devices is non-existant for any kid who wants to get beyond them. And their are kids who are actively getting past them and then showing their classmates problematic material.
The school needs to do a lot more to try and deal with the issue of laptop usage and protections. It really is bad. And the reports home are not accurate. Any parent who thinks they are fine is naive.
Anonymous
08/14/2025 08:28
Subject: Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!
How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?
HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.
The problem is students just use their school computer to do this. FCPS currenttechnology controls are useless. Students know how to disable lightspeed, use proxy servers, and use school email to bully, Snapchat, buy/sell vapes, and more. The cellphone ban is an excellent start. Parents should not send phones to school. FCPS needs better tech controls and monitoring. This generation is suffering with learning and mental health because of technology dangers.
It is super easy for me to say it’s a paper/pencil day and we aren’t using laptops at all. I rarely have kids on devices in my room.
But even when I do, 90% of kids are using computers for schoolwork. 2% of kids were using their phones in the same manner.
90% of kids are NOT using their school computer for schoolwork. What grade levels do you teach? The middle school school kids have block scheduling, do the work with plenty of time to spare, then get on computers to stream, use social media, and email. And then they take the computers home for more tech access, which parents falsely assume is safe. The FCPS technology controls don’t work.
High school.
It is obvious when they aren’t doing work on their laptops and I take it and hand them a paper version.
To clarify: You are arguing that students shouldn’t have access to school laptops at home because parents aren’t paying attention to what their kids are doing? Parents have access to light speed reports, do they not?
The parent lightspeed report isn't that helpful. It shows domains. Often those domains are ads on websites that the teachers sent my kids' to, because FCPS doesn't do a good job of blocking ads (seriously, would using something like a Pi Hole as the DNS server to block trackers and ads really be that hard?), which makes it hard to find the things my kids really did.
NP: you can send websites to the tech people and they will quickly block them.
But really, this sounds like an individual problem. You need to reinforce behaviors with your kids and monitor them at home if you cannot trust them, just as if it were a personal device.
That is a ridiculous expectation. The social media, porn, and streaming is addicting, even for adults with fully developed frontal lobes…let alone middle or high school students- especially if they have a disability or ADHD. Expecting children’s brains to manage these all day on school devices with poor technology controls is unacceptable.
Anonymous
08/14/2025 08:28
Subject: Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition
Anonymous wrote:FCPS will allow lunch use in high school.
FCPS is a sovereign nation.
Anonymous
08/14/2025 08:25
Subject: Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!
How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?
HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.
The problem is students just use their school computer to do this. FCPS currenttechnology controls are useless. Students know how to disable lightspeed, use proxy servers, and use school email to bully, Snapchat, buy/sell vapes, and more. The cellphone ban is an excellent start. Parents should not send phones to school. FCPS needs better tech controls and monitoring. This generation is suffering with learning and mental health because of technology dangers.
It is super easy for me to say it’s a paper/pencil day and we aren’t using laptops at all. I rarely have kids on devices in my room.
But even when I do, 90% of kids are using computers for schoolwork. 2% of kids were using their phones in the same manner.
90% of kids are NOT using their school computer for schoolwork. What grade levels do you teach? The middle school school kids have block scheduling, do the work with plenty of time to spare, then get on computers to stream, use social media, and email. And then they take the computers home for more tech access, which parents falsely assume is safe. The FCPS technology controls don’t work.
High school.
It is obvious when they aren’t doing work on their laptops and I take it and hand them a paper version.
To clarify: You are arguing that students shouldn’t have access to school laptops at home because parents aren’t paying attention to what their kids are doing? Parents have access to light speed reports, do they not?
I have MS/HS age children. I wish lightspeed worked. The kids know how to get on proxy servers and also disable lightspeed. The controls on the school computers are weak. It’s much easier for kids to access dangerous and/or inappropriate sites on school computers, whether they are at home or at school. We have technology controls on home devices or don’t allow them. We now also take school computers when they are brought home. I think you’re a bit naive if you think LightSpeed on your students computers is working, and if you think 90% of the time they are being appropriate with computers at school. There is a lot of research supporting how the technology is negatively impacting the students. We need less time on computers, and better technology controls within schools.
Anonymous
08/13/2025 18:20
Subject: Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!
How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?
HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.
HS Teacher, love this perspective.
-One question, who and how will the ban be enforced? Won't teachers/ staff just get tired of asking kids to put away their phones all day every day? Are there any actual consequences that the school said they would enforce?
-I think some schools, with weak leadership & weak classroom management skills will just throw in the towel by week 4.
We're not asking anything. We don't even have to talk to your kid about their phone. We see or hear the phone (including in pocket) and we dial the office and security takes it from there.
Anonymous
08/13/2025 18:13
Subject: Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!
How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?
HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.
The problem is students just use their school computer to do this. FCPS currenttechnology controls are useless. Students know how to disable lightspeed, use proxy servers, and use school email to bully, Snapchat, buy/sell vapes, and more. The cellphone ban is an excellent start. Parents should not send phones to school. FCPS needs better tech controls and monitoring. This generation is suffering with learning and mental health because of technology dangers.
It is super easy for me to say it’s a paper/pencil day and we aren’t using laptops at all. I rarely have kids on devices in my room.
But even when I do, 90% of kids are using computers for schoolwork. 2% of kids were using their phones in the same manner.
90% of kids are NOT using their school computer for schoolwork. What grade levels do you teach? The middle school school kids have block scheduling, do the work with plenty of time to spare, then get on computers to stream, use social media, and email. And then they take the computers home for more tech access, which parents falsely assume is safe. The FCPS technology controls don’t work.
High school.
It is obvious when they aren’t doing work on their laptops and I take it and hand them a paper version.
To clarify: You are arguing that students shouldn’t have access to school laptops at home because parents aren’t paying attention to what their kids are doing? Parents have access to light speed reports, do they not?
The parent lightspeed report isn't that helpful. It shows domains. Often those domains are ads on websites that the teachers sent my kids' to, because FCPS doesn't do a good job of blocking ads (seriously, would using something like a Pi Hole as the DNS server to block trackers and ads really be that hard?), which makes it hard to find the things my kids really did.
NP: you can send websites to the tech people and they will quickly block them.
But really, this sounds like an individual problem. You need to reinforce behaviors with your kids and monitor them at home if you cannot trust them, just as if it were a personal device.
Anonymous
08/13/2025 12:35
Subject: Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!
How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?
HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.
The problem is students just use their school computer to do this. FCPS currenttechnology controls are useless. Students know how to disable lightspeed, use proxy servers, and use school email to bully, Snapchat, buy/sell vapes, and more. The cellphone ban is an excellent start. Parents should not send phones to school. FCPS needs better tech controls and monitoring. This generation is suffering with learning and mental health because of technology dangers.
It is super easy for me to say it’s a paper/pencil day and we aren’t using laptops at all. I rarely have kids on devices in my room.
But even when I do, 90% of kids are using computers for schoolwork. 2% of kids were using their phones in the same manner.
90% of kids are NOT using their school computer for schoolwork. What grade levels do you teach? The middle school school kids have block scheduling, do the work with plenty of time to spare, then get on computers to stream, use social media, and email. And then they take the computers home for more tech access, which parents falsely assume is safe. The FCPS technology controls don’t work.
High school.
It is obvious when they aren’t doing work on their laptops and I take it and hand them a paper version.
To clarify: You are arguing that students shouldn’t have access to school laptops at home because parents aren’t paying attention to what their kids are doing? Parents have access to light speed reports, do they not?
The parent lightspeed report isn't that helpful. It shows domains. Often those domains are ads on websites that the teachers sent my kids' to, because FCPS doesn't do a good job of blocking ads (seriously, would using something like a Pi Hole as the DNS server to block trackers and ads really be that hard?), which makes it hard to find the things my kids really did.
Anonymous
08/13/2025 12:31
Subject: Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!
How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?
HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.
The problem is students just use their school computer to do this. FCPS currenttechnology controls are useless. Students know how to disable lightspeed, use proxy servers, and use school email to bully, Snapchat, buy/sell vapes, and more. The cellphone ban is an excellent start. Parents should not send phones to school. FCPS needs better tech controls and monitoring. This generation is suffering with learning and mental health because of technology dangers.
It is super easy for me to say it’s a paper/pencil day and we aren’t using laptops at all. I rarely have kids on devices in my room.
But even when I do, 90% of kids are using computers for schoolwork. 2% of kids were using their phones in the same manner.
90% of kids are NOT using their school computer for schoolwork. What grade levels do you teach? The middle school school kids have block scheduling, do the work with plenty of time to spare, then get on computers to stream, use social media, and email. And then they take the computers home for more tech access, which parents falsely assume is safe. The FCPS technology controls don’t work.
High school.
It is obvious when they aren’t doing work on their laptops and I take it and hand them a paper version.
To clarify: You are arguing that students shouldn’t have access to school laptops at home because parents aren’t paying attention to what their kids are doing? Parents have access to light speed reports, do they not?
Anonymous
08/13/2025 01:48
Subject: Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!
How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?
HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.
The problem is students just use their school computer to do this. FCPS currenttechnology controls are useless. Students know how to disable lightspeed, use proxy servers, and use school email to bully, Snapchat, buy/sell vapes, and more. The cellphone ban is an excellent start. Parents should not send phones to school. FCPS needs better tech controls and monitoring. This generation is suffering with learning and mental health because of technology dangers.
It is super easy for me to say it’s a paper/pencil day and we aren’t using laptops at all. I rarely have kids on devices in my room.
But even when I do, 90% of kids are using computers for schoolwork. 2% of kids were using their phones in the same manner.
90% of kids are NOT using their school computer for schoolwork. What grade levels do you teach? The middle school school kids have block scheduling, do the work with plenty of time to spare, then get on computers to stream, use social media, and email. And then they take the computers home for more tech access, which parents falsely assume is safe. The FCPS technology controls don’t work.
Anonymous
08/13/2025 01:44
Subject: Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!
How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?
HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.
HS Teacher, love this perspective.
-One question, who and how will the ban be enforced? Won't teachers/ staff just get tired of asking kids to put away their phones all day every day? Are there any actual consequences that the school said they would enforce?
-I think some schools, with weak leadership & weak classroom management skills will just throw in the towel by week 4.
It’s going to be a ton of work. We have all been assigned 45 minutes every other day during what used to be our planning (it’s now basically a duty period) to patrol hallways and bathrooms. If we see a phone out we are to ask the student to give it to us and we take it to the office. If the student refuses, we have an email address we reach out to with the time/location and a description of the child and admin will pull up cameras and track down the child. The email goes to all admin and security people in the whole building and whoever is available comes to get it. It worked well last year with classroom issues, we’ll see how it goes with the hallways.
Confiscated phones result in detention and parent pickup.
My school is going all in. Principal had stated multiple times already we cannot back off of it and we will have the hall monitor duties all year.
It sucks to lose so much planning but teachers are (mostly) willing to do it because the phones have created such a horrific learning environment. I wish kids wouldn’t bring them to school at all but that’s not reality so we are doing the best we can with what we have.
Thank you- that is encouraging to read! What school? I hope all schools take this approach for hall duty. It will help with other safety issues (vaping, fighting, skipping class), phones- and all the associated problems.
Anonymous
08/12/2025 23:53
Subject: Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!
How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?
HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.
HS Teacher, love this perspective.
-One question, who and how will the ban be enforced? Won't teachers/ staff just get tired of asking kids to put away their phones all day every day? Are there any actual consequences that the school said they would enforce?
-I think some schools, with weak leadership & weak classroom management skills will just throw in the towel by week 4.
It’s going to be a ton of work. We have all been assigned 45 minutes every other day during what used to be our planning (it’s now basically a duty period) to patrol hallways and bathrooms. If we see a phone out we are to ask the student to give it to us and we take it to the office. If the student refuses, we have an email address we reach out to with the time/location and a description of the child and admin will pull up cameras and track down the child. The email goes to all admin and security people in the whole building and whoever is available comes to get it. It worked well last year with classroom issues, we’ll see how it goes with the hallways.
Confiscated phones result in detention and parent pickup.
My school is going all in. Principal had stated multiple times already we cannot back off of it and we will have the hall monitor duties all year.
It sucks to lose so much planning but teachers are (mostly) willing to do it because the phones have created such a horrific learning environment. I wish kids wouldn’t bring them to school at all but that’s not reality so we are doing the best we can with what we have.
How do you not see it’s the laptops that create the horrific learning environment? My son was forced to get a laptop at school in 3rd grade. Prior to that, he had never been on a computer. He didn’t even know what YouTube was. Third grade changed all that sadly.
I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t use laptops in my room, except maybe 10 days a year. County mandated assessments are on them, one or two really awesome activities are on them. Otherwise it’s paper/pencil/peers. I can control laptop usage in my classroom. I rarely had an issue with kids using them in my class. I could not, until last year, control phones.
I don’t know what your child’s elementary school experience was and I won’t pretend to. I teach high school. I know that for my own classroom, getting phones (and earbuds!!) out of the picture is wonderful.
Anonymous
08/12/2025 23:47
Subject: Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition
Anonymous wrote:So teachers can't confiscate phones ?
And teachers can't touch a student if student refuses to hand it over if caught?
For example, if a kid quickly stashes the phone into his hoodie pocket then a teacher can't reach into grab it, right ?
Correct. I will not touch a child. I will contact security, they will identify the child, and consequences will be handed out.
Anonymous
08/12/2025 23:38
Subject: Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I LOVE IT!!!!!!!
How does not having a phone in passing periods affect your class?
HS teacher: it’s huge. They cannot snap each other to arrange ditching class at the same time, share where the vape is stashed, text each other what was on the test. They will have heads up so collisions in busy hallways will lessen. They will be on time more often because they won’t be trying to squeeze every second of phone time before coming to class.
HS Teacher, love this perspective.
-One question, who and how will the ban be enforced? Won't teachers/ staff just get tired of asking kids to put away their phones all day every day? Are there any actual consequences that the school said they would enforce?
-I think some schools, with weak leadership & weak classroom management skills will just throw in the towel by week 4.
It’s going to be a ton of work. We have all been assigned 45 minutes every other day during what used to be our planning (it’s now basically a duty period) to patrol hallways and bathrooms. If we see a phone out we are to ask the student to give it to us and we take it to the office. If the student refuses, we have an email address we reach out to with the time/location and a description of the child and admin will pull up cameras and track down the child. The email goes to all admin and security people in the whole building and whoever is available comes to get it. It worked well last year with classroom issues, we’ll see how it goes with the hallways.
Confiscated phones result in detention and parent pickup.
My school is going all in. Principal had stated multiple times already we cannot back off of it and we will have the hall monitor duties all year.
It sucks to lose so much planning but teachers are (mostly) willing to do it because the phones have created such a horrific learning environment. I wish kids wouldn’t bring them to school at all but that’s not reality so we are doing the best we can with what we have.
How do you not see it’s the laptops that create the horrific learning environment? My son was forced to get a laptop at school in 3rd grade. Prior to that, he had never been on a computer. He didn’t even know what YouTube was. Third grade changed all that sadly.
Anonymous
08/12/2025 23:26
Subject: Bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition
So teachers can't confiscate phones ?
And teachers can't touch a student if student refuses to hand it over if caught?
For example, if a kid quickly stashes the phone into his hoodie pocket then a teacher can't reach into grab it, right ?
And teachers can't touch a student if student refuses to hand it over if caught?
For example, if a kid quickly stashes the phone into his hoodie pocket then a teacher can't reach into grab it, right ?