Musings: Solve cellphone issue by district
Is there a good resolution to the issue of cellphones in school? Credit: Randee Daddona
Some people’s suggestion to resolve the school cellphone “dilemma” seems, on the surface, to be: “Let students use them during lunch.” However, in the average overcrowded middle and high school on Long Island, there are multiple lunch periods. While one student is at lunch, his or her friends may be in class. So, guess who they are calling? Their friends in class, thereby creating other problems.
Also, responding to parents who worry about reaching their child in an emergency by telling them to call the main office only answers half of what I think their real concern is. They are not talking about their own emergencies.
I suspect many parents are visualizing the horrors that have occurred in other schools and want reassurance that they could call their child if an unfortunate situation arises at the school.
We need to hear teachers’ suggestions. Many teachers are parents themselves and understand those feelings. The most successful program would take these fears into account.
In a state with diverse needs, policies developed should be on a districtwide level, meeting the unique needs and skills of the personnel involved, including courses offered that might incorporate cellphone use as part of classroom instruction. Any attempt to dictate a statewide policy for cellphone use in schools would be a serious mistake.
— Kathleen Valentino, Seaford
The writer is a retired Long Island high school principal.
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