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Tuesday Was First Day Of School, First Day Of Cell Phone Ban In Escambia, Ala.
August 11, 2009
Summer vacation is over for children in part of the area — today is the first day of school for public school students in Escambia County, Alabama.
One major change this year includes a ban on all cell phones at school. The Escambia County (Ala.) Board of Education passed a ban on all cell phones at all schools this year. Last year, students were allowed to bring their phones to school and check them into the office during the day, but that option has been eliminated.
Students may keep their cell phones in their vehicles on campus.
Another change for students at Escambia County High School will include a uniform policy that will be strictly enforced.
The first day of school in Escambia County, Florida, is Monday, August 24.
Comments
15 Responses to “Tuesday Was First Day Of School, First Day Of Cell Phone Ban In Escambia, Ala.”
Times have changed since I was in school. We didn’t have cell phones then. We actually had to go to the office to use the phone!! It would be nice to be able to leave your phone in the office but since the students have abused that privilege the principal had to take that away. I think that was justified. When students start txting mommas and friends they cause panic because most of the mommas don’t know how to behave themselves either. I do not have a child at ECHS and I hope I never do.
i dont like the whole idea not just because im teenager but because some of us have to stay after school and how are we goin to get in touch w/ our parents also tlhings can happen on the bus like it gettin in a wreck or something like that and we may need to call our parents for help or 911 so i think its stupid
When this happened I worked for one of the local EMS services.
When the company that I worked for closed its doors, I became semi retired.
After too many years, wife finally got me to slow down some.
BigDon
How is that you know first hand what was going on in the classrooms? Are you a teacher or policeman? Would love to know. I don’t send my kids to school there because I have heard it is not safe.
to the person who made the comment about schools and 10 years ago…no cell phones…..have you looked at the schools TODAY, NOT 10 years ago? Schools were no where near as bad as they are today. Kids didn’t need cell phones 10 years ago. I do understand what teacher was saying about taking pictures of tests and texting each other, but IF a child needed a phone for a valid reason, i feel like they should have it. This will never be resolved, so i don’t even know why we post on it. The schools will never confiscate ALL phones and if they do, they just go buy new ones, no big deal to them. They will continuously fight this situation. What’s bad is that the admisistrators take up real school time to try to find these…just like the drug searches, they bring in cops and dogs etc and take up HOURS (ask your kid how long they have to SIT ,and that’s all they do) in a classroom, usually homeroom while they do these things. I know it’s important, but they do take up a lot of time in the classrooms. I’d be interested to know how much ACTUAL teaching time kids get per school day.
from what I remember, it wasn’t the students that started the panic at the high school and it wasn’t with cell phones, it was 2 teachers and /or counselors emailing with each other to other people at other schools. those computers were confiscated and the emails found. Those 2 were terminated.
Descretion would have and should have been to put the safety of the students first. Did not happen. Don’t buy into the rumors that the students started? Wasn’t rumor. Saw it with my own eyes. Kids in class rooms while building was being searched. Sounds to me that the principal does not want anyone to see or know what is going on at the school. It is quite obvious he doesn’t want ANY input from parents unless it is BLIND allegiance to him.
Look, if you are going to climb down somebody’s throat, at least make sure that your spelling is correct and check your grammer!!!!! Even with an elementary education, you should know the basics of writing.Stop sounding like hicks and start acting like adults!
The problem is the parents are buying into the rumors that the children helped to start…WITH THEIR CELL PHONES. As was proven, there was no real threat. I say the principal used great discretion that day – not ego. The situation would not have been nearly as volatile as it turned out to be had the children not been texting and calling.
Step…. I would concur IF. IF THE PRINCIPAL HAD FOLLOWED “NORMAL PROCEDURES. HE DID NOT. HE KEPT THE STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOMS WHILE LOOKING FOR AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE. HE DID NOT EVACUATE THE SCHOOL AS IS “NORMAL PROCEDURE. THIS PUT THE STUDENTS AND FACULTY IN HARMS WAY. HAD THERE BEEN A DEVICE THAT DID GO OFF,WE WOULD LAMENTING THE LOSS AND MAIMING OF NUMEROUS YOUNG PEOPLE. APPARENTLY THERE ARE A FEW STUDENTS THAT KNEW TO GET OUT OF THERE ANY WAY THEY COULD TO PROTECT THEMSELVES. As for the drug searches, simple have the leo’s come in without notice. Don’t tell anyone block all exits from the school. anyone trying to leave gets searched first. And I mean EVERYBODY, students and staff. What good is it going to do to call if you lock down each class room any one leaving or coming to class immediately full search. Many parents have tried to have a dialog with both the principal and his assistant. All you get is reaction that a parent has the gaul to question them and not follow blindly. So if I am wrong for being concerned about our children’s SAFETY AND WELL BEING instead of his EGO and his need to be in control and blindly followed then you got me there. OUR KIDS WEFARE IS MY MAIN CONCERN sorry if you don’t agree.
STEP.. I would agree with you IF. IF “NORMAL” PROCEDURE HAD BEEN FOLLOWED. IF THE SCHOOL WAS CLEARED TO ENSURE THAT IT WAS A HOAX (STUDENTS WERE KEPT IN CLASS). IF HE HAD NOT PUT THE STUDENTS AND FACULTY IN HARMS WAY WHILE THE THREAT WAS BEING INVESTIGATED. BUT, HE…DID…NOT FOLLOW NORMAL PROCEDURE. HE PUT THE KIDS IN A VERY POSSIBLY DANGEROUS POSITION. BECAUSE HAD THERE BEEN AN ACTUAL EXPLOSIVE DEVICE, WE WOULD BE LAMENTING THE LOSS OF, AND THE MAIMING OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. Every time that you try to have a dialog with either the principal or his assistant, act put off that a parent would have the gaul to actualy question anything they do or say, by trying to talk down to you and coming across in an arrogant manner. So if you don’t agree with me so be it. But I would be willing to bet that if there is a next time it will happen the same way again. Hopefuly it won’t cost the lives of our young people to feed his ego and need to be in CONTROL
While I rarely weigh in on such “hot topics” I feel the need to pass on some “enlightenment” about cell phones at school. Cell phones, like any other privilege, can be a great help, but, like any other things, they can also be the cause of a great many problems when the privilege is abused. As an adult, I’ve become quite attached to my cell phone; I don’t know how I managed to leave the house without one or send my child to school, sports, social engagements, etc. on a daily basis before we had such a marvelous technology so readily available. However, I am aware of the rules of cell phone etiquette and have restrictions placed on me by my employer. I don’t use my phone when I’m not supposed to! In school settings, cell phones cause such a distraction to students and teachers alike. Students used to pass notes in class. Now they text, phone, tweet, photograph and video each other with well-concealed phones. Answers to tests are passed along, individuals are photographed and filmed without their knowledge and consent, and phones ring and buzz and sing during instruction. This is WITH the threat of confiscation for using the phone during school hours. Escambia County FL voted to allow students to bring phones to school, provided they remained turned OFF during school hours or on the school bus. Unfortunately, students repeatedly abuse the privilege of possessing a phone by focusing on the phone rather than their studies. I talk to educators and administrators all over the county, the state and the country. It’s the same everywhere. We’re fighting a losing battle to keep students’ attention on instruction unless parents instill in their children that they need to respect the rules, turn those phones off during the day, and save the tweeting, texting and the like for after school. I understand parents’ fears….the world is not like it was when we were passing notes in study hall. Help your children understand what constitutes a “real emergency” and set firm guidelines for them. If they violate YOUR rules, take the phone privilege away from them for a while. That way, the school officials won’t have to be burdened with policing cell phones, your students will be safe, and everyone will be able to focus on the real reason for school; educating future leaders and productive citizens!
BigDon,
I respect your opinion but what about 10 years ago when cell phones were not common place? Students do not NEED cell phones…Sure they are nice to have.
While I don’t agree with the total ban of cell phones on campus, I completely understand why there is a ban – specifically in the case of ECHS. The principle did not hide the fact why he wanted these banned – he was completely open and honest.
There was no real threat on campus the day that you mention. However mass panic spread through Atmore because of cell phones owned by students. Had students not had access to cell phones much of the confusion would have been eliminated. The normal process for threats are to clear the school of students, perform a search, and if nothing is found the students are allowed to enter the school and return to class. This process has gone without a hitch until cell phones were common place in classroom.
And on the note regarding drug searches. The principle has had great difficulty with drug searches because the students always seem to know when they will occur.
Give the principle a break. If you look closely you can see his efforts to make a change.
I TOLD MY DAUGHTER IF HER PHONE WERE TO BE TAKEN, TO LET ME KNOW, I WOULD GET IT BACK AND GIVE IT TO HER. I KNOW FOR A FACT THEIR HAVE BEEN “INCIDENTS” OUT IN THOSE OUTDOOR BATHROOMS WITH GIRLS AND IF MINE WERE EVER PUT IN A POSITION THAT SHE COULDN’T GET OUT OF, SHE WOULD NEED HER PHONE TO GET HELP. LET THIS HAPPEN JUST ONE TIME AND THAT SCHOOL SYATEM WOULD HAVE A TIME TELLING A PARENT, YOUR CHILD WAS ASSAULTED IN OUR RESTROOM, BUT COULDN’T CALL FOR HELP BECAUSE WE TOOK HER PHONE AWAY. WE ARE THE PARENTS AND WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO GIVE OUR KIDS SOME SORT OF PROTECTION. THEY CAN’T CARRY WEAPONS TO SCHOOL. I UNDERSTAND IF THEY ARE IN CLASS GETTING CALLS AND TEXTING AND SO FORTH, BUT IF THE PHONE IS IN THE POCKET OR PURSE AND IS NOT CAUSING ANY PROBLEMS, WHAT IS IT GOING TO HURT. I DON’T RECALL ANYONE IN ATMORE OR FL SCHOOLS THAT HAD TO HAVE THEIR PHONE TAKEN AWAY FOR TALKING DURING CLASS.
The REAL reason for the cell phone ban is not what we are being told. Last year there was a bomb threat at the atmore campus. The administration put the school on lock down, with the students inside. Some of the students contacted their parents to get them out of there. This upset the principal to no end. First of all don’t you think the COMMON SENSE to do would have been to ensure the students SAFETY by gettting them out of harms way before you searched for an explosive device? IF there would have been an ACTUAL device, and if it would have DETONATED, how many families would have been devistated over the loss or permanet maiming of their child so that someones ego and need to be in control was fed. As a parent of a young man that goes to ATMORE, I now wonder and worry about my students safety as well as the safety of my students friends.
During the last school year after the school took some of the cell phones(NOT ALL the kids lost theirs, a good number of them still had them) I heard the principal say that the reason for the phone seizue was because of the bomb threat. Not warnings of the drug dogs not disruption of classes. But because of what happened during the bomb scare. This is not hear say, I heard it with my own ears!