The Joplin R-8 Board of Education is discussing a policy that would forbid students from bringing electronic devices such as palm pilots, camera phones, I-Pods, MP3 players, etc. to school, according to an article in today's Joplin Globe:
R-8 district contemplates policy for phones in school
— By Joe Hadsall
jhadsall@joplinglobe.com
Jamie Dorris pays her own cell-phone bill every month.
The 15-year-old sophomore at Joplin High School knows to keep her phone quiet during school. She leaves the ringer on vibrate and never answers during class — according to school rules.
Those rules may get more stringent, however. If the Joplin R-8 Board of Education adopts a new policy in the next few weeks, Dorris would have to turn her cell phone off during the day.
She doesn't think that's fair.
"I think cell phones should be allowed to be turned on," Dorris said. "If there is an emergency, it's an easy way for my parents to get ahold of me."
Cell phones aren't the only target of the school board's proposed new policy. Using gadgets such as iPods and Palm Pilots also would be forbidden.
"This is a common-sense policy," said board member Robert "Bo" Lee. "We need to make sure these devices don’t interrupt school."
The board will discuss the policy during Tuesday's regular meeting. After revisions, the policy would be approved during a second session, potentially on Aug. 14.
Lee said he would like to see the policy approved before the beginning of the school year on Aug. 15.
Policy aimed at parents, too
Assistant Superintendent Steve Doerr said the policy formalizes rules already enforced in school: Cell phones are to be turned off during class. The policy cracking down on cell-phone use is aimed at parents as well as students.
"Some parents call their children's cell phones during the day," Doerr said. "Parents need to understand that it is important not to disrupt their children while at school."
Doerr said the "old-fashioned way" of contacting youngsters — calling the school's main office — works just fine.
Bob Barr said he is just fine with that. He said he can get in contact with his son, Luke, without calling the sophomore's cell phone.
"If we have a family emergency, there are other means I have to contact him," Barr said. "I understand the school's position and support it."
Dorris' mother, Yvonne, said the "old-fashioned way" doesn't always work. She thinks cell phones should be allowed to be on.
"There have been several times I've tried to get hold of my kids, and it's taken one or two hours to hear back from them," Yvonne Dorris said. "Even though something might not be a 911-type emergency, it may still be an emergency."
Other gadgets
Cell phones aren't the only gadgets that would be banned under the policy. MP3 players, radios, pagers, camera phones, personal digital assistants, laptops, portable gaming systems — all personal electronic devices would be barred from operation.
Lee, the board member, said none of these devices existed a few years ago, but children's use of them is now prevalent.
"We are trying to get ahead of the curve," he said. "This is a new phenomenon we are dealing with."
Doerr said the policy is meant to help students focus on their education with as little distraction as possible.
"We've all been next to someone having a loud cell-phone conversation," he said. "This policy will help kids learn what's appropriate."
MP3 players allow owners to store music collections on a small, pocket-sized hard drive. Senior Brandon Pliler has an MP3 player, and he listens to music while he studies.
"I think we should get to use it if we have some down time," Pliler said. "If we’re studying or reading, I don’t see the problem."
Luke Barr also owns an MP3 player, but he said he doesn’t take it to school.
"Some of the teachers let us listen during tests," Luke Barr said. "But I’ve heard about some kids recording answers to a test onto their players and listening to them during the test."
Students have found ways to use the devices to cheat, Doerr said.
"These devices have tremendous amounts of memory," he said. "Students can download entire books onto an MP3 player and go through it to get the information they want."
Doerr also said students are becoming adept at text-messaging while their phones are still in their pockets.
Senior Garrett Shank is skeptical.
"Cheating is a lot harder than it looks," he said. "It’s not realistic to text answers. That’s a lot of texting to do."
Lee said he wants to hear input from parents and students before the policy is given a second reading for approval.
"This is a touchy situation," he said. "It deals with parents' rights to talk to their kids. We want to make rules that we can live with."
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