Away for the Day: cell phone policy change at McMurray Middle School

I appreciate the different opinions and intensity of feeling that people are expressing, but believe that kids' access to cell phone distracts from learning in classroom and interferes with development of real time, face to face social skills and developing the ability to soothe themselves/cope away from home. If phones are prohibited, the school will need to increase ability to support communication between parents and kids in other ways and would likely need to budget extra staff time or recruit parent volunteers to accomplish this.

I will need my daughter to be able to access her phone as soon as class is dismissed for the day in case there is an after school plan change or confusion.

That was a thoughtful rebuttal from a 5th grader, who was more respectful of another perspective than some of the comments from supporters of the petition. I'd rather we challenge the school to teach our kids to manage this and other risks, and educate them about the risks involved in this technology, not just to them personally, but to us as a society. Separate but related, I'll sign/create the petition to switch start times, so our older kids can get more sleep. There's lots of data there too, that we're breaking our older kids with early start times.

Hi all. My daughter wrote a response she’d like to share. I’ve posted it for her here: https://link.medium.com/vTaETiYomX Cheers.

It's simple: THERE IS NO PRODUCTIVE OR EDUCATIONAL USE for any personal devices in any school. Phones, especially, need to be removed from the educational environment. There is simply no reasonable counter-argument. All critical communication required by children - AND THEY ARE CHILDREN - K -12 during the day should be handled through the office. They are a breach of security, and give rise to poor discipline, poor personal habits, poor study practices, and compete with the programs created by educators. End phones in school.

Why not stop usage in Chataugua and the high school too? And also, why not limit the PDDs?

Right on!

Most of us grew up w no cell phones. The use of them in school is distraction and parents allowing kids to have them is another issue but it is not a learning curriculum tool so like toys and umbrellas should be put away and parents need to stop the co dependent tether... Kids Will never learn independence having a cell phone 24 7. Gladly signed.

There is no meaningful reason to disconnect children from what is arguably the most useful learning tool ever invented during educational activities

These children aren't being incarcerated, so quit acting like they are. A phone is a valuable tool for communication, reference, and accountability. Teachers need to evolve with the times and manage their classrooms effectively. If they can't....get rid of them.

It is highly irresponsible to remove an emergency communication device from a child. Their property is none of your business. Their communication with their parents is also none of your business. There are many fantastic and capable teachers out there who can manage a classroom. Hire them and get rid of the people who can’t adapt in the workplace. THAT would be teaching young people something of value.

Yes let’s put more rules in place on top the already countless rules in the system that’s overburdened with rules, good job Karen. Do us all a favor and get a better haircut

I fully support making the school day cell phone free at McMurray. Kids and teachers should be able to create and participate in an educational program that is free from the distraction of cell phones and the social activity and pressures that are associated with their use. That all comes soon enough and is available to kids both before and after school.

This is incredibly inconsiderate, busy parents and especially single parents like me rely on ready communication. Banning cellphones sounds like a parenting problem, not a school problem.

Yes yes yes

How about if you don’t want your kid to use their phone at school.... You don’t send them to school with a phone in the first place? God forbid you have to actually raise your own kids, gotta get a petition together to make everyone else do it for you.

Enough distractions and lack of self discipline already. Phones don't make anything better. Just harder for teachers.

We are listening.... you know like in public school where you learn to site a source when talking about stuff...

But Karen 3 times.. you are a super karen

Wow Karen not once