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* KSDK in June…
Metro East school district is cracking down on students using cell phones in the classroom, and it hopes more schools in Illinois will follow suit. […]
Recently, the Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education passed a resolution to limit cell phone use in schools across the state.
The resolution recommends that the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) consider bringing the proposal to state lawmakers to pass legislation requiring each school district to create a policy banning the use of cell phones during class time. The exceptions would be monitoring a health condition or if its included in an individualized educational plan.
District 7 will present the following proposal to the IASB in November: “The Illinois Association of School Boards shall request that the Illinois legislature consider legislation that empowers school boards to adopt policy regarding the use of student owned wireless communications devices. School districts will be required to create policy that states that students may not use wireless communication devices during instructional time.”
* WBEZ in July…
On the first day of summer classes at Evanston Township High School in May, students were asked to switch off their cell phones and place them in storage units freshly installed at the entrance of each classroom.
The storage units are the high school’s latest step to do the seemingly impossible: separate students from their phones. Other schools in the Chicago area are also considering similar policies to limit phone use in classes — all to avoid distraction, encourage students to be social during breaks and curb bullying. […]
While some states like neighboring Indiana already have issued their own bans, Illinois has not, and a spokesman for Gov. J.B. Pritzker said there are no plans to consider a statewide policy to dramatically restrict phone use during the school day. Despite the growing unease about the impact of cell phone use on kids and teens, the decision to ban cell phones from classrooms raises lots of questions, including from parents who want access to their kids in an emergency.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Monday giving California school districts two years to begin banning or restricting cellphone use during school hours, an initiative that is intended to address rising concerns over social media and children’s mental health.
The Phone-Free Schools Act, which will require schools in the nation’s most populous state to restrict cellphones by July 1, 2026, is the latest statewide effort to curb phone use by children in classrooms. More than a dozen states in a little more than a year already have passed restrictions, including Louisiana, Indiana and Florida.
Calls for school crackdowns have mounted with reports of cyberbullying among adolescents and studies indicating that smartphones, which offer round-the-clock distraction and social media access, have hindered academic instruction and the mental health of children.
In a study in April by the Pew Research Center, some 72 percent of high school teachers and 33 percent of middle school teachers said that cellphone distractions during class were a “major problem.” The surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has called for social media platforms to carry warning labels like those on cigarettes and other addictive consumer products. And Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist who has studied the effects of phone use, has urged schools to strictly limit the use of smartphones.
The Question: Do you support a statewide ban of cell phones in Illinois public schools? Make sure to explain your answer.
posted by Isabel Miller
Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 11:17 am
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No.
Local control is best in this situation.
A district with 300-500 students in each school likely will not need to handle this problem the same as those with 3-4x as many students.
Comment by Central IL Centrist Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 11:20 am
Do not support.
We’re in an unfortunate period of time where many adults who seek positions of power, aren’t smarter than children.
It’s not the fault of the cell phones that parents are unable to properly guide their own children. It is also not the job of schools to make that decision.
If this is an actual goal, then treat it like anything else in schools - allow parents to opt their kids out of this policy. Parents who have been able to properly inform their children about the benefits of a computational device with access to all the information produced by humanity, should not be punished. Even more so when it comes to the education of their kid. Sometimes kids can learn faster than a teacher will be able to teach them. Lets not hold them back, because other people are irresponsible. That’s the old way of how education works, and it’s incredibly damaging.
Are we going to punish the gifted kid in class writing an app on his phone to make his homework easier, because the kid who sits next to him keeps playing a game full of microtransactions?
Leave it up to the parents.
Otherwise, and aside from the benefits described above, this also sets the table for a level of anger directed at them a school board and/or administration has never even contemplated, when there is a school shooting and the kids are unable to be in contact with their parents.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 11:28 am
As long as the kid can keep the cell phone on their person. A phone in your locker is useless during an emergency. I do have empathy for the teachers that have to monitor this, but I want my kid to have their phone on them and just have to trust them not to use it during the day.
Comment by Truthiness Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 11:30 am
My son’s high school bans phones. They must be stored in their lockers all day.
I don’t think the state should step in. Schools should set their own policies on this.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 11:35 am
No. Stop creating work for others to do and just do the work yourself.
Why does the IASB want the state to require this when it appears that local districts can take action on their own?
Do local districts feel like they need to hide behind a unfunded state mandate to avoid taking the heat from the community? I’m not sure why legislators would be willing to take the heat instead.
Comment by Who else Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 11:37 am
Yes. They are unnecessary to the learning process. They are also an inevitable distraction for too many students, too often.
If people want to argue that in exceedingly rare events, they may be used to summons help, “panic buttons” can be put in each classroom.
As a parent of six children, and as a teacher, I just cannot see any reason why phones are needed during the school hours.
A brief 20 years ago, they were not included in the curriculum. They should not be today. Indeed, I seem to recall about 15-20 years ago, we educators were being led by vendors to consider using beepers and similar devices to gauge engagement with lectures. That idea was a complete washout.
If the goal is to educate, then I am at a loss to see how and where phones contribute to the teaching and learning processes.
Comment by H-W Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 11:37 am
No. times have changed and schools dont want to. Memorization of info needs to move to how to access info-devices. I get the cheating argument, but you cant stop progress.
Comment by Proud Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 11:39 am
No, just use a phone jammer let them keep it
Comment by Rabid Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 11:40 am
All cell phones are off during class. You can keep it on you, but turn off when you walk in.
Phones are just as disruptive as if someone were using a radio. Dealing with them takes the teacher’s time away from the rest of the class.
Don’t leave it up to the parents. One of the reasons teachers leave the industry is parents’ disrespect and lack of acknowledgment that maybe their kid is the problem, not the teacher.
Comment by Frida's boss Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 11:40 am
Yes. However, it all comes down to implementation. I’m sure nearly every teacher in the state already asks students to not use their devices during instruction or work time. If the Legislature simply asks the same thing of students, it will have no greater effect.
Success will require genuine buy-in from administration and all teachers to actually keep the devices off.
Comment by Lakefront Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 11:53 am
Yes. They are not needed in the classroom and are a huge distraction for both the student and the teacher. Leaving the phones in the lockers removes the temptation and the need for teachers to monitor. The parents who feel the need to constantly be in touch with their child are another distraction that disrupts learning (including the development of independence).
Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 12:00 pm
I have heard many complaints from teachers whose schools will not support them when they try to implement these types of measures.
My answer is yes. Cell phones have no place in the classroom. They are 100% distractions to the students that are using them in the classroom.
Comment by Barrister's Lectern Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 12:03 pm
=== A phone in your locker is useless during an emergency. ===
What type of emergency is happening that require your child to have their cell phone on them in the middle of class?
Comment by Barrister's Lectern Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 12:04 pm
=== I’m sure nearly every teacher in the state already asks students to not use their devices during instruction or work time. ===
Many schools will not enforce any kind of rules limiting cell phone usage in class and in those schools.
Comment by Barrister's Lectern Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 12:05 pm
Yes, absolutely. I used to sneak read hot rod magazines in class when I should have been paying attention. I can only imagine how much more distracted I would have been with a smartphone. These should be kept in lockers if allowed in school at all.
Comment by Captain Obvious Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 12:14 pm
- What type of emergency is happening that require your child to have their cell phone on them in the middle of class? -
School shootings come to mind.
I agree this should be left to the locals.
Comment by Excitable Boy Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 12:14 pm
=== School shootings come to mind. ===
Exceedingly rare events.
Less rare are “threats” of school shootings,” but these are also exceedingly rare.
“Fear of school shootings” is a real problem, but that is not solved by having phones available. Indeed, one might argue having phones available reinforces fear of an exceedingly rare event.
Comment by H-W Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 12:24 pm
“Yes. They are unnecessary to the learning process.”
The existence of, rapid adoption of, and overall success of Khan Academy would say otherwise.
There are endless success stories where it fills the gap between ineffective teachers, and a student actually learning a topic.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 12:32 pm
Teacher here.
I’m in the camp of no statewide ban but allow local control.
We allow students to have phones on their person but have gotten very strict with consequences for violations. Communication home about our policy has been excellent. We finally have a dean who backs us up.
Since mid-August, I’ve written two warnings and one detention for violations and these were all in August. I’d like to continue with our experiment of teaching kids how to appropriately integrate technology into everyday life.
Comment by Proud Papa Bear Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 12:44 pm
No, it should continue to be a local decision. My daughters’ districts are doing a nice job of balancing the teacher/classroom needs and those of helicopter parents who need to know what their kids are doing at all moments
Comment by Steve M Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 12:49 pm
@Who Else
“Do local districts feel like they need to hide behind a unfunded state mandate to avoid taking the heat from the community?”
Yes, that’s exactly what they’re hoping to do. Outsource dealing with the parent complaints to ISBE or the GA
Comment by Steve M Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 12:50 pm
Yes. Beyond the classroom … how many times have the flames been fanned by phones, turning a two person shoving match into a group melee?
Comment by Anyone Remember Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:01 pm
No.
Exactly as Steve M stated above: the goal of this request is for the administrators to able to say “out of our hands, it’s a state law!” without having to deal with the repercussions from the parents. If districts want to limit student cellphone access, let them announce it (and back up their teachers when they work to enforce it).
Laws of this sort also raise safety concerns, as in Excitable Boy’s unfortunate-but-necessary school shootings reference.
Comment by thunderspirit Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:01 pm
It’s not just cell phones that can be used to cheat - it’s the school-issued laptops and even smart watches. A classmate of mine cheated on a math test in high school by using his Apple Watch in 2017.
If phones are banned, being able to quickly access the phone in case of emergency is vital. Students these days are too vulnerable to emergency situations where being able to contact parents could be essential.
Ultimately, enforcement falls upon the teachers who are also trying to juggle so many other tasks in the classroom. Support from administration for implementing any phone restriction or ban is essential for success, and I feel that policies implemented at the state-wide level is harder to argue against.
Comment by Wisco Expat Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:06 pm
Yes. I think the evidence is conclusive . Cell phones for students is a giant negative. There’s zero evidence it makes them better students. This is an issue that should unite all sides of the political spectrum. Student socialization is more important than a cell phone.
Comment by Steve Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:08 pm
I am of a mixed mind about this. Part of me thinks that a statewide ban would be the most effective and part of my is a fan of local control.
But I want to talk about this a bit.
“Are we going to punish the gifted kid in class writing an app on his phone to make his homework easier, because the kid who sits next to him keeps playing a game full of microtransactions?”
First, there are a ton of things schools and teachers prohibit that some kids are just fine with and some are not. Eating in class comes to mind.
Secondly, it isn’t Timmy playing a game with a ton of microtransactions that is part of the problem it’s Timmy taking a video when Billy is having a bad moment in class or at school and then putting it all over social media that’s the problem.
I think back to when I was in school, and man, am I glad that everyone else didn’t have a camera and the ability to share my worst moments with the world.
As for the well, if it is an issue for your kid, don’t give your kid a phone argument. Think back to when you were in school, and there was a kid or two that due to religious reasons or whatever, couldn’t participate in some things that everyone else got to do. Think about how you (I am sure all of you were never mean to anyone) and your classmates responded or treated that kid. Now imagine today being the only kid without the most common way to communicate in the modern age.
Sorry, social media is a menace for children (and many adults), and we are going to look back at this at some point and wonder why we subjected children to it.
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:09 pm
== What type of emergency is happening that require your child to have their cell phone on them in the middle of class? ==
Confused.
Mass shootings which have become common comes to mind.
Comment by sal-says Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:09 pm
Cell phone apps are designed to be addictive and they are very good at it. It has to be incredibly distracting and some time off-line definitely has benefits. I do have to say it is not just kids. I am one of only a handful of people that don’t stare at their phones at my gym. Most adults can’t even walk across the street in my neighborhood without watching their phones. Teaching kids how to wean off early seems like a great idea to me.
Comment by levivotedforjudy Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:10 pm
No statewide ban. District by District preferable. (And I would be in favor of a ban.)
Comment by Original Rambler Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:12 pm
As a point of reference, Illinois once banned student cellphones in schools. The legislator who passed that ban (Flowers) subsequently passed a bill lifting the ban. School shootings was a big reason.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:14 pm
No. My son’s not old enough for a phone yet, but the fact of that matter is that cell phones have become basically a mandatory thing for anyone other than the Amish past the age of ten or so. Realistically expecting students to not have phones is like trying to close pandora’s box after it already opened, especially as the average parent is terrified of the potential of a school shooting or emergency and would want to be able to contact their kids immediately.
Comment by TJ Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:26 pm
=== School shootings come to mind. ===
Exceedingly rare events.
Less rare are “threats” of school shootings,” but these are also exceedingly rare.
“Fear of school shootings” is a real problem, but that is not solved by having phones available. Indeed, one might argue having phones available reinforces fear of an exceedingly rare event.====
If there’s a Golden Horseshoe Award for most uneducated post, I nominate H-W.
Comment by Henry Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:26 pm
I’m a firm yes. They make teachers’ lives hell and unless every kid can be trusted not to use them (they can’t) there’s no reason to have a “you can have it but don’t use it” policyl. Not sure I buy the mass shooting case either. If one happens how is a bunch of kids having cell phones going to help?
A state ban would also be a great way to avoid dealing with helicopter parent freakouts.
Comment by Sam N Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:30 pm
No. I would be curious to know the age of those who posted yes and the ages of their children if they have any. It’s a lot easier to talk tough when you are just a bystander. School shooting threats are not rare anymore and neither are bomb threats. Schools also go on lockdown on a too regular basis for gun crimes committeed nearby or bomb threats to buildings nearby. (remember the capitol bomb threats?) I’ve heard from active teachers on both sides of the issue. No offense to retirees or former teachers, but I only care what those currently in a classroom think. Phones shouldn’t be out when a student is in class and I think stricter consequences would help enforce that. I like the idea of sending the students phone to the office and they can’t have it back until a parent comes to school to retrieve it. Detentions or other methods would be effective too. Keep local control and leave it up to the schools.
Comment by Mad Dad Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:43 pm
Dear HW/Sam N –
So far in 2024, there have been 144 shooting incidents at K-12 schools, resulting in 107 injuries and fatalities. Since 1999, 440 people have been killed and 1,243 injured in shooting events at K-12 schools
Go ahead and tell these families, students and communities about these “rare events” you easily dismiss.
I’m a hard YES on letting students have phones in school.
Comment by Mama Bear Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:43 pm
I’m trying to remember how I was able to navigate School without a phone in my hand.
Comment by Dotnonymous x Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:43 pm
==Exceedingly rare events.
Less rare are “threats” of school shootings,” but these are also exceedingly rare.==
Rare, yes. But still frequent enough where wanting to be able to contact your kid is a valid concern.
And less rare, illnesses or other family emergencies.
I’ll refrain from quoting the needlesy rude part.
Comment by TJ Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:44 pm
I agree with H-W. School shootings are not a reason to allow students to have cell phones in class. If there is a school shooter, teachers and administrators would have access to phones to call for emergency assistance. Not to mention less than 1 percent of 1 percent of all schools will ever experience a school shooter.
Comment by Barrister's Lectern Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:45 pm
I would say to require districts have a policy whether that is a ban or limits on when phones are accessible. I think local districts can make the best decisions for their students, but they should have to have a policy that limits disruptions however they see best to do that.
Comment by ArchPundit Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:45 pm
=== Rare, yes. But still frequent enough where wanting to be able to contact your kid is a valid concern.
And less rare, illnesses or other family emergencies. ===
Parents frantically trying to contact their child in the middle of a school emergency is not going to make them more secure.
Also, in terms of illnesses or family emergencies, there is always the option of having the school being the point of contact… you know… before every kid had a cell phone.
Comment by Barrister's Lectern Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:47 pm
=== but the fact of that matter is that cell phones have become basically a mandatory thing for anyone other than the Amish past the age of ten or so. ===
What benefit to your child does having a cell phone in class provide?
Comment by Barrister's Lectern Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 1:49 pm
=== Golden Horseshoe Award for most uneducated post ===
Thanks.
Comment by H-W Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 2:01 pm
===Parents frantically trying to contact their child in the middle of a school emergency is not going to make them more secure.====
Might have helped in Uvalde if the kids had access to a phone while the cops were holding theirs in the hallway and allowing a massacre to take place.
Comment by Grace Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 2:05 pm
=== Might have helped in Uvalde if the kids had access to a phone while the cops were holding theirs in the hallway and allowing a massacre to take place. ===
How so? The cops did not respond to the active shooter well, but they were already on scene. Who were the kids going to call? Ghostbusters?
Comment by Barrister's Lectern Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 2:11 pm
As long as the specter of a school shooting remains, I will be against restrictions on students having their phones with them.
===Who were the kids going to call? Ghostbusters?===
No, they were going to call their parents to say goodbye.
I’m genuinely curious how many commenters have school age kids.
Comment by Just Lurking Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 2:41 pm
=== No, they were going to call their parents to say goodbye. ===
It actually is not great policy to have everyone on their cellphones in a school emergency when students should be focused on emergency protocols. If there is a shooter in the room, the last thing that we need is a bunch of kids trying to contact their parents in that moment.
=== I’m genuinely curious how many commenters have school age kids. ====
I can say that I do not have any kids. Maybe that is a negative for this debate or maybe it allows me to think about the problem without any emotional clouding of judgment.
Comment by Barrister's Lectern Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 2:48 pm
Dear Mama Bear
If there have been 144 shootings this year, and we extrapolate that to 200 for the entire year, how many schools are there in America? How many school days are there for each school? How many children attend schools each day?
School shootings are in fact rare events.
I never suggested they were not tragic (they are), nor acceptable (they are not). I only stated that they are rare events, and that I have raised six children who attended public schools (where coincidentally, there were no school shootings in their multiple schools from 1986 to 2017).
The existence of school shootings, and their increase or decrease over time does not justify having phones in the pockets of every child in the classrooms of every school in America on every day. And because most students already have phones, it is clearly evident that phones do not deter school shooters, lest they would be decreasing over the past decade. Neither the absence nor presence of phones predicts school shootings.
School shootings are in fact, rare (and largely unpredictable) events.
This question was about whether or not phones are disruptive to the learning environment, and whether or not they should be banned.
I say yes, because they are disruptive devices, and because they do not enhance learning. If the latter were so, our current children would be geniuses, relative to Gen-Z students, millennials and Gen-X-ers. That is not the case.
Comment by H-W Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 2:51 pm
=== because they are disruptive devices===
AR-15s are a disruptive device in our schools. And school shootings aren’t rare, they’re a tragic fact of life.
Comment by Trudie Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 2:55 pm
No. Current law let’s school boards handle it: 105 ILCS 5/10-20.28. “in public schools” could cover a lot of area: at the bus stop, on the bus, on a field trip, at a home/away game, on the job training of a student in need of special education services, a parent is late for pickup, etc. There are apps that let marching band track formations, let students track their bus, have medication reminders, nurses/parents assist students in monitoring blood sugar, fall notifications for students with epilepsy, etc. Let the locals decide the appropriate time/place and if they are disruptive or violate others rights, then discipline accordingly.
Comment by Two Left Feet Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 3:00 pm
I’m a no on passing a law as I don’t see the necessity. I favor local control and as the parent of a 15 year old I have first hand experience with the issue. At my son’s high school the teachers determine whether phones can be kept during class. Most, but not all, require the kids to put their phones in a bin during instruction. Those that don’t tell the kids that they can’t be out. The kids (and parents) don’t seem to have any issues with this approach.
A lot of the comments I’ve read here are along the lines of “back in my day” or people that just don’t like what phones have done to our society. When I was a kid there were those that said “TV will rot your brain.” I’m sure there were plenty who would have favored a ban. But just like the TV didn’t go away neither will phones. We simply have to adapt.
Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 3:06 pm
I was a teacher in a high school a long time ago. Why teachers have not gotten their districts to stop it is beyond me.
Having said, that I am very reluctant to make local issues state or national issues. This is up to each school district.
Comment by Mason County Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 3:15 pm
I’ve personally had to pick up my kid after a bomb threat was called in. These threats are no less threatening because they don’t end up being real and are not “exceedingly rare” like Barrister’s Lectern likes to keep pointing out.
Comment by Truthiness Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 3:15 pm
Parent of teenagers here — no statewide ban, yes local school control. The local junior high requires kids to keep cell phones in their lockers; the high school does the “shoe pockets over the door” thing. I’m a big proponent of the “Wait until 8th” movement which encourages parents *as a community* to refuse to let their kids have smart phones until they finish junior high. My junior high kid has a flip phone. He can reach me when after school plans change and text his friends, that’s all he needs. We also made our children sign cell phone use contracts with us that spelled out their responsibilities.
Comment by Suburban Mom Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 3:21 pm
Also, if ISBE wants to make my kids’ digital lives better, they can start by investigating what programs schools are using to post kids grades/communicate with kids, because the digital footprint these programs leave behind is HUGE. My third grader already has a huge digital footprint from using the school iPad. It’s all being sold to data brokers so they can market more effectively, and some of these school-specific programs have effectively zero security. You cannot opt out, and if your kid is enrolled in school, their data’s on the dark web. Local school IT is wholly inadequate to make these decisions; we need a sophisticated, statewide school IT program that whitelists programs that can prove they provide appropriate privacy and security controls and don’t resell to data brokers.
Comment by Suburban Mom Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 3:25 pm
== No. I would be curious to know the age of those who posted yes and the ages of their children if they have any. It’s a lot easier to talk tough when you are just a bystander. ==
I suspect I have something on most of the commentators here. I was in a school shooting as a high school student. A kid I knew shot a math teacher (she survived). We were locked down for about an hour and resumed the school day. I still can remember taking a math test in the room next to where the shooting happened a couple of periods later and the sound of them taking the blackboard down in the next room.
My parents had no idea it had happened until hours later.
When my oldest was in high school, we were bringing her to school after an orthodontist appointment and were ordered to leave when we showed up because the school was on lockdown after they found a loaded gun in the faculty bathroom.
In an ‘active shooter’ incident, I want my kids to pay attention and do what they must, not try to reach me.
If that functionality is so important, let the kids have a flip phone with no camera and no apps. They can text Mom and Dad.
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 3:26 pm
I have never looked into this, but when I was a Senior (2000) in high school (small, downstate rural district) my phone rang in class. Long story short, the teacher confiscated my whole purse, not just the phone and I had to collect it at the end of the day. I thought that was the end of it but I was wrong. The next morning I was called to the office and met with the principal and vice-principal and was informed that I was facing suspension or possibly expulsion over my phone ringing in class. They told me it was state law that students could not carry electronic communication devices because of all of the drug problems the Chicago Public Schools experienced. There was a board meeting held regarding this and I was able to finish my Senior year.
Has there ever been anything related to cell phones/pagers use in state law or admin rules that has been changed in the last 24 years?
Comment by OldSchool Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 3:26 pm
Just saw Rich’s post and glad to know (I think) that the school admin responded appropriately at the time. That was a pretty terrifying situation though, I could have been expelled my Senior year. I had never been in trouble and was in the top 10 of my 140 student class. My parents and I were shocked. I didn’t even answer it, it just rang (I didn’t hold the power button long enough when I came into school that day).
To the question - Ban them statewide, but it will need to be a pretty detailed bill. It’s the best way to treat everyone the same and provide schools something to fall back on. Allowing local control for an issue like this will just create a continuous cycle of lawsuits.
Comment by OldSchool Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 3:39 pm
To the question of the day…I am a hard no. Let local districts decide what they want to do. We implemented a full day ban and it has been great. Our staff has been consistent which is the main reason it is going well. We enjoy a fair amount of parent support and our Board was 100% in support.
Our district is a 1:1 district and we have also implemented a number of additional safety protocols including a significant “hardening” of our buildings. Our teachers have an app on their phones and computers that we implement in an emergency.
I personally have extensive school safety training going back more than 20 years. One factor that does not make a building safer is the presence of smartphones in every student’s hands. I found that dubious the first time a school safety expert stated that. One reason cited, and this may be more applicable to rural schools like ours, is how dozens of calls to 911 overwhelm the system very quickly. Students communicating with parents and not following safety protocols makes them less safe and not more safe. This may not fill the emotional need of parents and students, but it is a cold hard fact. It also makes reunification nearly impossible, this is one of the most important aspects of a crisis plan. There is a lot of detail to reunification that I will not go intIt is extensive and very difficult to do well.
There are a lot of comments, some seemingly uninformed or not understanding the problem schools are dealing with. A simple use of the google would bring you to the facts.
=I’m genuinely curious how many commenters have school age kids.=
A better question is how many parents have spent extended time in the modern school environment? The proliferation of the smartphone has been one of most, if not the most, disruptive factors in student learning. That ignores the mental health issues created by handing this device to teens and preteens that have not fully matured or developed mentally. A single example has been running around instagram or one of the other socials. It is a time lapse video created by a teacher where her students go up top the board and put a tally mark on the board everytime they get and alert on their phone. The video is amazing, a student is out of their seat and headed to the board almost every minute of every class. One example. This happens in every school where students can have their phones on their person.
Parents think they need to be in contact with their kids every moment of every day but they don’t. It is not healthy for the student and does not help them learn. The phones allow bullying to exist and we have little to know way of controlling it and parents certainly demand we do something when they themselves have that power. Misinformation is spread rapidly, false emergency reports and rumors that take hours and hours and even days to deal with. All because the kids have access to a phone.
Some have cited school shootings as a reason. You are aware that educators are in the buildings with the students right? We do not take the specter of school shootings lightly. We are in schools and so are our own children.
Someone cited Uvalde as a reason. That is completely false. Students did have phones and so did staff. The complete and total failure of the police response along with unlocked doors in side the school are the problem. Phones did not save any lives that day. And for me, every school shooting hurts. In case after case police enter to find teachers who lost their lives throwing their bodies over students in a futile attempt to protect them. I have read too many of these reports. School resource officers have not stopped the problem. They may have, in a very few incidents, shortened or lessened the event. But phones did not do anything.
So don’t ask me if I have school aged kids. I live the risk everyday, unarmed, like my colleagues in schools around our country.
I do not expect to change a single mind here, especially when it comes to parents. But phones are not necessary in our schools (my district) and our buildings are already better for it. Discipline is down not up. Student engagement is up. Kids are talking face to face to each other at lunch not head down in a phone.
I suspect the same is true for other schools.
Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 3:45 pm
thank you JS Mill, I was hoping you will chime in as you provide great insight in school related subjects and what you stated was very informative.
I’m in a family with several teachers/parapro’s, grade school to High Schools, in Illinois, Wis and Iowa. No kids in class but have grand kids just starting. All said that cell phones disrupt the class room and makes the teachers job harder to manage the classroom. In addition, disrupts the social learning of kids that is part of the school environment. Keep it local as each school should have a better idea what is best for thier schools.
Parents need to understand the policy and support it. Yes there are certain issues that your kid may need it but instead of fighting for the right, work with the teacher/administrators to find a solution. The only other thing is that administrators need to support the teachers when it comes to infractions of the policy as this has been an issue with some of my family members.
Comment by Snowman 61 Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 4:32 pm
=Yes, that’s exactly what they’re hoping to do. Outsource dealing with the parent complaints to ISBE or the GA=
If that was really true, and it is not, it would finally be our chance to shift the dirty work to them. But it isn’t true. And it isn’t school admin. Read the story. This is a school board asking the IASB (Illinois Association of School Boards) the advocacy group for school boards to ask the state to do something. If this was school admin it would be coming out of the IASA (Illinois Association of School Administrators) or the IPA (Illinois Principals Association).
Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 4:51 pm
Kids shouldn’t be on their phones during class. In the 2000s in my school if a teacher saw you with your phone out in class they warned you and eventually took it away from you. That policy mostly worked, I think. I don’t care if it’s in your pocket, but when you’re being taught you should be paying attention to the lesson. So I’m fine with policies that get us closer to that point.
Comment by Perrid Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 5:08 pm
No to a statewide ban. And I voted this way because I just don’t see a total ban working. Parents wanting communication during emergencies is a valid concern.
District 186 has, on paper, started a strict ban this year. From what I have heard from the grandkids, that lasted for a week or two at the high school level. First week absolute crackdown; second week a bit more lenient. Students are allowed to carry but not supposed to be on them.
While it varies by teacher, now it’s pretty much a wink and nod from a lot of the teachers if the classwork is done, although they can crack down and enforce it if things get out of hand. And some of the teachers are on their smartphones during class, which makes it a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ situation that undermines enforcement.
Now at the middle school level the ban in the classroom seems to be holding, although I’m told they are allowed on things like field trips.
Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 5:12 pm
Dear JS Mill,
Thank you for your thoughtful and thorough response. I always look forward to your responses on school issues. My question about whether commenters had children was for commenters up to that point, some of whom were, in my opinion, cavalier about students’ experiences. I acknowledge that I have not spent extended time in the modern school environment. I have had my child evacuated from school due to threats multiple times, in addition to school cancellations, so you guessed correctly that my mind hasn’t changed, but I’m sincerely glad your district has had a positive experience with the ban.
Comment by Just Lurking Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 6:06 pm
As a current classroom teacher I keep the cell phones out of sight and confiscate them if they are out at any point in time during the class period. We do allow them during passing periods, which allows parents to communicate with their children during the school day. I feel a statewide ban would be ineffective.
As I think of active shooter situations one of my biggest worries is coordinating my students while they are focused on communicating with their parents.
Comment by Merle Webb’s Jump Shot Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 7:02 pm
Ambivalent to a state wide ban.
The issue of allowing a student to retain a cell phone and still prohibit use can be resolved by making the student put the phone into a locked Faraday bag.
There was a Washington Post article from last May discussing how a Connecticut middle scho resolved the problem.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/05/01/school-cellphones-confiscate/
Comment by Huh? Tuesday, Sep 24, 24 @ 8:49 pm
It doesn’t matter anyway. The lack of discioline available for a cell phone wouldn’t amount to even a removal from class.
If they made it a law what would the punishment be? A misdemeanor? A felony? Suspension? All these Democrats dealing with Criminal Justice the last 4 years, does anyone who think they are going to create new borders for children in school much less prosecute them and pass judgemnent in them for a cell phone?
Comment by Frida's boss Wednesday, Sep 25, 24 @ 1:59 am