Debate over Lorain schools’ cell phone usage policies continues

Several parents and Lorain Education Association President Julie Garcia expressed concern about the confusion surrounding cell phone policies during the Lorain City Schools Board of Education meeting on August 12.

“There will be a lot of kids in the office the first week of school,” Garcia said.

But Michael Scott, assistant superintendent of Lorain schools, tried to allay concerns about the policy and clarify certain points.

Scott also emphasized that teachers and staff are on the same page and will enforce cell phone policies fairly, consistently and clearly.

“The policy is set and we have discussed it at length,” he said. “Students are allowed to use their PCD (personal communications device) before or after school or during lunch between classes as long as they do not distract, disrupt or otherwise affect the learning environment.

“And I think it’s been a polarizing discussion about what actually is a distraction, and I want you to know that these classrooms are meant to be sacred and should be sacred, and that’s the first line of defense of this policy.

“We have worked with school administrators, particularly high schools, and created administrative policies to facilitate enforcement of this part (of the policy).

“Progressive discipline is something that school districts have always done in the past. They’re more of a logical consequence. I want to make sure that’s understood. Logical consequence means there’s a range, so the first consequence might be ‘put that away.’

“I talk to principals and confiscation is part of that. But we don’t want a confrontation in the classroom where we become belligerent.”

Scott explained that there will be a range of penalties for violating these rules and that he expects staff and teachers to have discussions with students on the first day of school about these rules and the consequences of not following them.

He explained that he understands that everyone involved wants connectivity and engagement, but more importantly, he wants the community to understand that the policy is not just about compliance, but a much larger issue that shows that increased screen time is harming students.

Scott urged parents to closely monitor their children’s screen time and teach them good habits.

Enforcing these good habits will make things easier for your child when he or she starts school.

“There is a lot of research on our Department of Education and Employment website that shows the dangers of increased screen time for students,” Scott said. “The work that is done at home impacts what happens at school.”

“We also need to be aware that there are real concerns in society about how I will gain access to my child in the worst case scenario.

“Or my child is involved in extracurricular activities, the weather has changed, the games have changed, and we’re trying to coordinate communication. We have to face the obligation to meet the challenges, and that means that until now, being united in enforcing cell phone policies has not been a standardized practice.

“We ask families to continually talk to the students who come to us about the importance of not using cell phones at school.
important teaching locations.

“I think we have more work to do in terms of the impact of social media on our children. We protect our students from everyday, face-to-face interactions, but some of those dangerous times are now happening online, and the sheer accessibility of adult content and the impact that has on the way our students then engage in school, all of that and more has been scientifically researched.”

Entrance

Scott said he hopes to receive further feedback from students’ families and encourages them to share their ideas and concerns about the policies and their enforcement.

He further explained that the goal is to establish an official school policy on mobile phones and minimize the use of these devices.

“We have a policy that we’re going to implement, and we’re asking for support from students, for compliance, for support from families,” Scott said. “Maybe we’ll have another conversation at the end of the first quarter where we don’t necessarily talk about the restrictive aspects.”

“So, again, back to what our policy says: ‘as long as and unless they cause a distraction.’ There’s been a lot of conversation and recognition that there are emotions attached to this.

“There is some anxiety associated with this, but our staff also have the desire to get involved in the way we as professionals would like them to, because we know the benefits it will have for our students.”

“I welcome people having a variety of opinions and thoughts on this topic. This is what a healthy community looks like and this is how healthy organizations function.”

The same guidelines?

Garcia asked if policies regarding cell phone use vary from school to school and grade to grade.

“What is a distraction? Who decides what is a distraction and are there different levels of distraction when we talk about distractions in the cafeteria or in the hallways,” Garcia said. “Elementary schools are also affected by the policy because, as I just heard from an elementary school teacher, there is a third-grader in the buildings who has his cell phone out and is calling mom, texting and taking video recordings. This
These measures must also be extended to our primary schools.

“As a teacher, I am now creating my curriculum. What should I include in my curriculum?

“I realize that school will start again in two weeks and I think our teachers need to answer these questions.”

A second public hearing is scheduled for the next board meeting, as members have already voted to suspend any policy changes at this time and enforce what they consider to be an already strict policy.

The board also agreed that language work needed to be done to ensure that terminology was accurate for the variety of personal communications devices and other electronic devices used by students.

Superintendent Jeff Graham also wanted to make sure the board and administration were on the same page regarding policies and enforcement.