Cell phones on School Campuses in California

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In keeping with a trend we have been seeing across the country, another school board in California has decided to ban the inappropriate use of cell phones on school grounds (largely to prevent cyberbullying and the recording and online posting of fights). There is one exception – students are able to use cell phones to capture or record any illegal activities they witness on campus (by students or staff). Some schools across our nation have entertained completely banning student cell phones, and confiscating those that they see on campus (a policy which some parents do not appreciate). Others have allowed use before school, during lunch, after school in the parking lot, or some variation thereof. I’d be interested to hear what your school district is currently doing, or planning to do about these ubiquitous devices – and whether that policy or strategy has borne fruit or proved less than effective. We will follow up with another post in the near future as to our specific thoughts on the matter – based on our work with districts nationwide.

13 Comments

  1. I absolutely think cell phones should be banned from ‘during school hour’ use. The reasons for this are numerous:

    · There is no need – absolutely NONE – to use a cell phone (or any of the bells and whistles) during class time. For generations we survived without them; the current generation needs to learn how to do this also. You want to know why test scores and average IQs have fallen…?

    · It will curtail during school cyberbullying

    · They should not be banned outright because they do play an important role in child/parent communication

    Like all things ever given to a child, they have learned how to take advantage of it. What started as a tool for emergencies has become an expected way of life. Kids have no right to expect a cell phone be given to them and that use of that phone bye unlimited. There are so many things wrong with kids having cell phones and so very few things right about it that the least we can do is make them put it away during school hours so they can focus on learning and not become the “stupid Americans” we have been regressing to over the last 15 years.

  2. Ken, crime and ice cream sales both increase during non-winter months…let’s not jump at any single correlation.

    I can agree that cell phone use during school hours is not necessary, however there are some exceptions. If a student needs to be contacted, or need to contact a parent for any reason, now they do not need to spend the time going down to the main office (assuming they can get an approval). An individual should be able to have the device with them, but not actively use it. If a cell phone is going to be a part of cyberbullying, then odds are the (e.g. embarrassing picture) is from non-academic activities off the school property. Whether the phone is on during school or not will not have any effect on the picture being sent around the school, thus taking part in cyberbullying.

    Saying that kids have no right to expect a cell phone is rather obnoxious. Taking advantage of new technology, in a positive way, is innovative and intelligent. When writing utensils were being reinvented with permanent markers that wrote anywhere, did we say kids cannot expect to use them or put them in art classes? The debate of whether kids should expect/use cell phones, or even carry them on their person in any situation is a slippery slope….where can a rational line be drawn?

  3. I wanted to make a quick comment and that is that I too believe cell phones should remain in lockers, cars etc. They should not be seen and definetly not heard. Every classroom has a phone and if a parent needs to get in touch with a child they call the school and connect with the student's teacher and then the student. We survived without them and had the same problems. They cause more of a problem then they do a service during school time. They have the right to possess them, but schools have the right to keep them out of the hallways and locker rooms.

  4. I THINK THAT CELL PHONES ARE A PART OF A NECESTIE TO SCHOOL STUDENTS. THEY HAVE A VERY LOW IMPACT ON WHAT STUDENTS DO AND THAT THE RIGHT SHOULD BE GIVEING A LITTLE MORE FREELY LIKE ALLOWING IT DURING LUNCH OR WHEN UR WALKING FROM CLASS TO CLASS..IT DOESNT AFFECT ANYTHING TO ANYBODY ITS NOT HURTING YOU OUR THE SCHOOL. IT COULD ALSO BE USED AS AN ADVANTAGE TO CATCHING SOMETHING WRONG THAT HAPPEND IN A CLASS THAT WAS INNAPROPRITATE TO THE SCHOOL… THE THING IS THAT YES SOME STUDENTS WILL USE IT TO CHEAT BUT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS THAT THE STUDENTS WILL THINK OF A WAY TO CHEAT.. THERE WILL NEVER BE A END TO CHEATING IN MY EYES..JUST THERE SHOULD BE GIVING CONSAQUERNCES IF CAUGHT IN CLASS WITH UR CELL PHONE

  5. its gay… I am 14 and I use my cell all the time. but i got cough texting and now they have taken it away for the end of the year… my parents pay a monthly bill.. and they take it for a year

  6. Honestly I think that cell phones should be banned as well. All my friends are always saying that "i'll text you after lunch" or "whats your cell number?" but i cant do any of that because i dont have a cell phone. But one think a teacher of mine once said,"why use a cell phone and text when you can just call them on your home phone?" and if you have a phone in class you are in big trouble if you forgot to turn it off. tons of my friends have texted in class and i tell them not to text in class or else you will get caught. I'm glad i dont have a cell phone yet because if i did have one then probably i would lose it to a teacher or someone will steal it. but since i dont i have all a's and b's.hee hee.

  7. I think that students should be allowed to use cell phones on campus. If the teachers would let us use cell phones then we couldnt have to sneak around and use them. I know that i sneak around and use my all the time. And never get caught. But still it would fell good not having to hide it.

  8. Any idiot who is bullying is probably the biggest coward. This person needs to display physical strength because internally he is a quivering fool and feels unsure of himself inside. So really it is sort of humiliating for the bully because he's letting everyone know that he has to compensate somehow for the little "pe–s" between his legs. If he were a true confident guy, he wouldn't need to prove anything at all.

  9. LESLIE; I do not know what school you went to but my school doesnt have phones in the classrooms. They still use the intercom to speak to teachers. What if i needed to speak to a parent about something that was an emergency to me or the parent like that the oven was left on in the morning or that there was a weird smell in the house(e.g gas leak). Most administrators wouldnt find those and an emergency but imagine if the oven was on and a gas line was busted, once the gas in the air hit the stove, BOOM; there goes the house. then what? the parent would blame the student for not calling, not the administrator. At my school someone threatened to kill multiple students and themselves, when word got out, if a student messaged a parent about the details the student would be suspended for having the phone out, in that big of an emergency the school would still punish the student! now if you have a child in a threatened state like that wouldnt you like the student to message you to let you know if they were ok, sure the school would contact you about the problem but they wouldnt know if anyone was harmed or killed and if so they wouldnt know who if the intruder or problem-matic student had a gun. KEN, When you were in school you took advantage of the new technology like calculators and computers. I am ABSOLUTELY positive you did so if you are in that generation. I am also sure that you didnt appreciate someone trying to take that away from you. You c and leslie can both say that they were academic accomplishing devices but then you will be contradicting yourself because computers are the number one way kids are cyber bullied. Cell Phones are necesary to life now like airplanes were in the past, sure people got on with out them but i dont think you would rather drive for 24 hours than to fly for 5. High school student without a phone; i feel sorry for you that you dont have a cell phone, why? because they are important to our generation like rock and roll was to the generation before us. You may have A's and B's but that doesnt mean you wouldnt have them if you had a phone. I have A's and B's in my classes here is my schedule: Business law, statistics, culinary arts, and government. I use my phone more that anyone i know. Does it lower my i.q? no. does it lower my grades? no. does it make me a stupid american? no. i find that very offensive that Ken can call the most technology advanced society stupid just because we learn to use technology to our advatage. i believe you are just jealous because we have one the best technilogical advances in history and most your generation doesnt even know how to use it. How many parents ask their child how to do something on a phone? almost ALL OF THEM. Im not saying parents are technilogically deprived but that they need to understand that these advances will never stop and no matter how hard they try to ban or not ban the use of phones they will still be used in and out of schools.

  10. I am a high school student, I see cell phones taken on a dailey basis. Some tachers are leaniant and you get a warning such as, 'Put it away". But other teachers if they see the outline of it in your pockets, you can kiss it goodbye. I have had my phone taken BEFORE school hours and I had to argue to get it back. If students have to obey school rules, shouldn't teachers atleast know and understand the rules? But to me it seems that it is sad if you can not go 6 hours without using your phone. Many children use the excuse, "I was texting my mom!" The school office has phones for you to use, therfore you do not need to use your phone while school is in session.

  11. CYBER BULLY is an EPIDEMIC, Bullying & Harassment are out of CONTROL, and the SCHOOL Adminsitration does not TAKE it Serious. Cell phone should NOT be allowed

  12. Actually, at the middle school I go to, we do not allow phones, and we all learn to survive without constantly having to be on our phones. Sure, I mean, it would be nice to have a phone with us just in case we need it, but, really, I don't think anybody needs their phones in school. If we need anything, we can ask a teacher if we can use their phone to call home for whatever reason, and we find a way to deal with our problem. At some schools where phones are allowed, the kids there cyberbully, and it's not funny. People then go and say, you know, it was just a joke, I only said it to be funny, well, it's not. Phones in school will only make it worse and encourage kids to cyberbully or play games on their phones during class time. Phones in school would be good for an emergency, but not much else. You're sick, great. Go to the nurse. You're stupid enough to think that you need to use your phone to pick on some kid cuz you think it'll be fun, SHAME ON YOU! And, also, GET OVER IT! YOU DON"T NEED TO BULLY THAT POOR LITTLE KID, JUST BECAUSE THEY STOLE YOUR CANDY BAR!!!!! Geez! People these days! But, anyway, back to the point of this. You forgot your band instrument at home, great. Go to the office and call home. There is an active shooter in the building, well, let's just hope that doesn't happen, because otherwise, you can just kiss your life goodbye, but other than that, nobody even needs one at all on school property. We have computers in pretty much every school, and the school has phones that they allow kids to use if necessary. Phones should NOT be allowed in schools.

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