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New Cellphone Policy Begins Monday At Ransom Middle School
March 22, 2019
There will be a new cellphone policy in effect when students return to Ransom Middle School after spring break.
Beginning Monday, March 25, cellphones can only be used between classes and during lunch. Students must put their phones away before entering classrooms, according to the school.
Comments
23 Responses to “New Cellphone Policy Begins Monday At Ransom Middle School”
No child should have a cell phone turned on at school. If something urgent happens the parent should contact the school to talk to their child.
Kids have too much information at hand which leads to poor choices. Give them an old school flip phone.
I have read all the “what if’s” and none of them justify a student having a phone during an emergency situation. One mom says she experienced a situation when the school was on lock down. Well have you ever been responsible for a group of children in an emergency situation? I have, and I can assure you had I had to deal with children stopping to call their parents it would have worsened an already tense moment. Our teachers already live with the fear that on any given day their quiet school could become the target of a crazy and deranged individual. And when that time comes they will be responsible for the safety of the children in their class. Now just imagine a shooter situation and teacher in a classroom with 25 students and they all reach for their phones, call home and start getting directions from a person that is not even there. We all know from past experiences that seconds means lives, how much time will be lost waiting for kids to get off their phones. Now let’s say just one student decides to call home, the safety of every child in that room has been jeopardized because one person needs to talk to their mom. Your child having a cell phone may be a comfort to you be but in reality they can be a hindrance and a distraction during an evacuation situation. WHAT IF, your child is hiding from a shooter and you decide to call? You could be exposing them and others that may be with them. I am sorry but the bad far outweighs the good when it comes to a cell phone during an emergency situation. Unless of course it is for your own peace of mind and then that is just selfish and narcissistic on your part.
I say leave them in a locker or at home. But what do I know about the situations at schools today all I had to worry about when I was in school was the occasional Race Riots.
So what happens if the students are using their phones during this time?
Does the teacher take the phone away or what?
Who enforces this new rule?
@Yeah Sure
Let’s be honest here, most kids aren’t going to use their smartphones to help with learning, they are going to use them for crap like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook.
And you are assuming all of these kids are going to end up working for a “smart” employer that allows them to play on their phones all day, when many will not.
Just what an active shooter needs. Parents checking in on their children, ringing their cell phones, and providing the shooter with their location.
If I recall, I thought this was a policy already stated in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, that students acknowledge each year? I could be wrong. https://ecsd-fl.schoolloop.com/file/1516954971059/1289140583901/945212636388090234.pdf?filename=FINAL%2BRandR%2B18-19.pdf
But the same needs to apply to teachers as it does for students, with regard to the usage. There are just as many teachers who are abusive with using their cell phones during the school day.
And now the teachers and do or say anything they wish without fear of being recorded. The cell phones keep bad actors in check. If one or two kids misbehave then deal with them individually. Another thought, in a school emergency a child having the cell phone may well make the difference between living or not ………. Look deeper and think harder about this a bit more before rushing to applaud the genius of this policy……
Everyone getting bent out of shape should just relax. They said put away. That means in the pocket, and that just good common sense.
Let’s just keep everyone safe and close the schools! If these kids want an education, they can use their cell phones at home. The teachers will be safe in their own homes using face time. The parents will just have to pay for a sitter instead of blaming the teachers and school.
The policy is not bad if it is such that the phones should be just put away in a pocket or book bag. They should be silenced but not off. Regarding employers doing this, cell phones and technology are now being leveraged in office environments. Smart employers no longer sneer at their usage, but encourage their smart usage. The efficient application of smart phones at work can increase worker productivity exponentially in some environments. Obviously, this doesn’t apply to every situation. Dear fellow north Escambia readers, I implore you to leave the industrial revolution in the gilded age. Kids need and should embrace the wise application of this technology.
Many employers do not allow cell phone usage on the job, kids might as well learn this early on.
Biggest mistake the school district ever made. Allowing Cellphones
Maybe Malcolm will get on board and make it County
Wide
As a teacher cellphones are the number 1 distraction.
Give them another RTIB. Watch the children laugh in your face
Is it just me or what? This sounds ridiculous, you have to create a policy/rule about cell phones. Should just be common sense and enforced by the parents. Would you let your child sit down and do homework with their cell phone in one hand, hope not. It’s called respect for the teacher, pay attention in class. I don’t think cell phones should be allowed in school period to much of a distraction and to easy for them to communicate with each other to include bullying, which now interrupts the school day for many.
This will be most interesting to see how the enforcement of this new policy/rule works out. @Parent of student: You speak the absolute truth! If you don’t start something, you don’t have to end it!!!
The entire school district should have this policy.
@Parent of student
I totally agree and this should be a county wide policy. If a parent needs to get in contact with their child , then call the school
Until a guy man entered my nieces and nephew’s school in Santa Fe, Texas, I was a huge fan of putting that phone away in the book bag and locked up in a locker or a teacher taking it away during class. That, however, is no longer my position. On that day in May, 2018, my nieces and nephew were at school as any other day. That day changed when a student decided to take the lives of fellow students and teachers, and school resource officer. My sister was able to speak with one of her children as he was walking from the school after the shooting started. This is how she found out what was going on. Her youngest daughter, she wasn’t able to reach. This daughter had to leave her book bag with her cell phone inside and run to a safe place. My sister did not know if her daughter was alive or dead. That’s reality in which we live today. My nieces and nephew all survived, however that period of time when my sister had no idea about her daughter still causes PTSD. There is a fine line and I personally think kids should keep cell phones’ volume turned off but the phone not powered down. They should be allowed to keep it in their pocket.
Will shall see if they actually enforce the new rule because the kids are going to do everything they can to break the rule. All these kids want to do is post on social media and send ridiculous stuff back and forth. MANY (not all) teens these days are so selfish and self absorbed and do not respect adults and rules. For those educators that have the patience and fortitude to work with this age of kids…you are amazing! I couldn’t do it.
I disagree with you about children not being able to have phones at school (Parent of a Student) Have you ever heard on the news that Your child’s school is on lock down due to an escaped convict or someone shooting in the area? And you are not able to get to your child and keep them safe, or remove them from the situation?
I have it’s an awful feeling to feel helpless. And not knowing if they are safe , we live in a crazy world today. Anything can happen no matter where you are at, I’m for children being able to have a phone at school. I could go on and on about all the what if’s, the bottom line is this If something happens at school I had a small bit of comfort knowing she had a phone and could reach out to me if needed. But because a child has a phone they are able to call you and let you know they are ok I agree with them being turned off during school and only allowed on when the are on their own time. (Between Classes & Lunch)
I’m very glad that my daughter was taught responsibility at home and respect and to follow the rules. We as parents are responsible for teaching our children about rules and following them, and that there are consequences if you don’t.
I agree with “parent”. They create distractions and possibly chaos.
Schools should have NEVER allowed them!! Nothing but a constant distraction and one more thing for teachers to compete with daily!!
I want my daughter to have immediate access to her phone if needed.
I agree the phone should be out of sight and on silent but I dont think the power should be off.
They should have never been allowed in the first place. Powered off and in your book bag until AFTER school. They should not be able to use during school hours period.