Summary
Cellphone bans in schools are gaining bipartisan momentum, with at least eight states, including California, Florida, and Virginia, enacting restrictions to combat classroom distractions and protect children’s mental health.
Governors from both parties, such as Arkansas’ Sarah Huckabee Sanders and California’s Gavin Newsom, support these measures, citing benefits of phone-free school days.
While some parents oppose bans, citing emergencies and transportation needs, proponents argue phones disrupt learning and may pose risks during crises.
States differ on implementation, from outright bans to district-level policies or funding for phone storage solutions.
Wait for it in … 3 … 2 … 1 … say it with me … “but who will think of the children” … when inevitably there’s yet another school shooting and they can’t call 911?
It’s pretty fucked up that there’s a society on this Earth where school shootings are “expected” and that’s the reason why you cannot remove mobile phones from the student body.
The question is, how many dead students is it going to take for this phone ban to be reversed?
I really am grateful that I am not forced to make those choices living on the other side of the planet.
Uh it’s been shown countless times that the powers that be don’t give a shit about children’s safety in school shootings. Only thoughts and prayers.
There is like 1 school shooting per decade in Germany.
Every single school has these buttons scattered around hallways:
Couldn’t US schools just put those alarms next to fire alarms? It’s faster to hit a button anyways + teachers will be automatically notified with an announcement to lock the doors until further notice. No phones required.
Different culture here:
I see these being abused by pranksters. Also, that requires you to go outside of the classroom in a crisis where the gunman is typically roaming the halls.
That can happen occasionally. But if you explain to the children why it’s important to not abuse this one button, it will hopefully reduce the number.
You’d only really know there is a crisis when you hear shots being fired regardless. People in the hallways already - be it teachers or students - would also be able to hear the shots and press the button. And in case nobody is in the hallways, teachers inside class rooms can call 911 anyways since a phone ban doesn’t extend to them.
You could install a button in each classroom if you want to 100% avoid your scenario.
I had actual bomb threats called in to my high school weekly for such reasons as “I didn’t want to take my math test”. I can guarantee with certainty this button would be constantly abused in American schools.
Could US schools have these? Yes. Do the politicians and police in charge care enough? Fuck no.
I don’t know how other schools/districts are handling this issue, but in my kids’ high school they have plastic storage bins in every classroom. Some classes have one big bin by the door. Others have multiple smaller bins at each group table. When the kids enter the room, they are expected to put their phone in the bin and leave it there until the end class. The bins aren’t locked or put anywhere they can’t be reached in an emergency.
From everything I’ve heard from both teachers and students, this new policy is working wonders to increase student engagement and interaction. I honestly don’t see any downsides. The only people I’ve seen complaining are helicopter parents who are upset that they can’t get ahold of their kid at any moment of the day.
They have fire alarms in schools, maybe they should have 911 buttons in all rooms too.
The fact that any of this is needed is sad too.
Teachers and staff can do that at least as well as any student. It’s a non-issue.
Kids really don’t have any need for cell phones in school. Maybe those who do have a real need, can drop them at the office each morning, and pick them up again at the end of the day. Perhaps some other exception I can’t think of. But certainly no need for students generally.
You mean like the student who was required to leave their medication, insulin if I recall, at the office because of “needles” and then was denied access and called the fire department who broke down the door to get access so the student didn’t die?
I don’t think that students leaving things “at the office” is ever a solution and I don’t think you have any idea what the logistics of 200 or 2,000 phones (that was the size of my primary school and high school respectively) at the office looks like.
Yes. Exactly like that. Cell phones are insulin. They both do exactly the same thing.