As nearby school districts implement more stringent policies regulating students’ cellphone use, a similar push in Montgomery County is getting a bad reception.
In mid-August, Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia announced new guidelines for its middle schools, mandating that all electronic devices — including phones, smart watches and tablets — must be turned off and stored in students’ lockers during the school day.
The new guidelines say using social media, taking pictures and playing games are not allowed during the school day. Students could have their phones confiscated if they are caught violating the policy.
A similar policy was passed in Prince George’s County Public Schools in 2010 and a school board member in Frederick County is proposing a similar cellphone ban.
Montgomery County Public Schools policy says phones are not supposed to be turned on or in use during school hours unless a teacher has permitted their use for instructional purposes and during lunch.
Parents have said they feel the policy is not enforced consistently across the district.
Lisa Cline, chair of the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations’ Safe Technology Committee, said she met with MCPS officials this week to discuss the possibility of implementing a policy similar to that in Fairfax County in local middle schools.
She says MCPS staff members were not responsive to the proposal, but pledged to increase efforts to educate teachers and families about appropriate cellphone use.
A school system spokeswoman said she was unaware of the meeting so she could not comment on that specifically, but she said she is unaware of any plans to change the MCPS policy.
Cline argues that cellphone use in schools contributes to decreased test scores, more bullying and tense interactions between students and teachers.
“Cellphones are distracting and are impairing person-to-person conversations among students,” Cline said. “Teachers are put in the position of having to be the police of devices and ensure they’re not being used in class for social reasons or entertainment. There are only so many minutes in a class period to get the actual work done.”
Gboyinde Onijala, the MCPS spokeswoman, said MCPS has focused efforts on teaching students how to use cellphones, social media and the internet safely and in a productive manner. MCPS also provides resources to parents about how to help their children understand the importance of being a good “digital citizen.”
“We’re being naive if we’re thinking students aren’t accessing the internet and social media with or without a cellphone. What we’re doing is focusing on what we can do to ensure they’re doing it safely,” Onijala said. “Whether they do it in middle school or high school, students are going to access mobile devices, so let’s teach them how to do it in a safe manner and prepare them for a career and all the things students are going to face.”
Some school board members questioned the feasibility of a cellphone ban, saying cellphones are simply “part of our world.”
Board member Karla Silvestre said in an interview that it is difficult to take a stance on the issue without studying the implications and considering “special circumstances” students and families may have.
“It’s worth taking a look at,” Silvestre said.
Board member Judy Docca, who was a middle school principal in MCPS before retiring, said she questions how such a policy would be enforced and worries that enforcement?? would take attention away from classroom instruction.
“It seems it would take away from academic instruction time to follow up on students using cellphones. I think we’ve passed beyond that age,” Docca said. “If you took cellphones away from students, they would probably be pretty upset, not just because they couldn’t socialize, but I think it could turn into a safety issue if they couldn’t get a hold of their families or authorities in an emergency.”
Caitlynn Peetz can be reached at caitlynn.peetz@moco360.media
