Proving that Superintendent Andrekopolous reads blogs and takes advice!
Andrekopolous has now sent the memo: students in MPS schools will NOT have a cellphone. That was Step One in my post.
Dad29: 1) Letter home and news release: MPS will not allow students to have cellphones in schools AND will not allow students to have them ON SCHOOL PROPERTY, period. No exceptions.
He also liked my Step Two:
Policies may vary somewhat from school to school, but the memo to principals suggested steps such as taking away a phone for a first infraction and perhaps requiring a parent conference before it is returned, with suspensions or central office disciplinary hearings required for repeat offenders.
From the Dad29 policy manual: 2) When the darlings arrive for classes, pat them down. If they have a cellphone, it goes to a locked closet. It will NOT be returned to the student, period. Only a parent may retrieve it.
If you need more help, Bill, just call.
I don't agree with this. There have been instances of school violence and catastrophies that cell phones have been a lifeline back to parents/others. The rule should be: cell phones off/away during class or else confiscation. Acceptible?
ReplyDeleteNo, because kids will find a way to try and bend rules and then you have to make judgement calls. It really is simply phones or no phones.
ReplyDeleteJimbob, you don't live here.
ReplyDeleteIn the last 2 weeks, there have been two near-riots involving several DOZEN students, parents (!!!) and non-student "pals" at an MPS high-school.
The darlings in school used their cellphones to call their gang-buddies and PARENTS (!!) who all arrived and joined in the fighting.
I'm not making this up...
The chilluns don't need cellphones to call mom and dad, who would do no friggin' good at a catastrophe anyway.
That's what cops and EMS folks do.