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Today's Letters: Why have cell phones at school?
Letters to the Editor
Published March 7, 2008
Phones a factor in school fighting, March 2, story I am writing in reference to the report in the Sunday Times about Freedom High School fights and cell phone text messaging. My question is this: Why do students need to have their cell phones in class with them? Shouldn't there be a policy that bans cell phone usage during school hours? Any emergency that needs handling can be handled through teachers and other on-site administrative and support personnel. Any communication students need to have during the school day other than emergencies should be the old-fashioned way of waiting until you see the person you want to converse with and speaking with them in person. My suggestion is to have all cell phones go into student lockers, or create a system of drop off and pick up near entrances for students to leave their cell phones while in school. Of course, these drop off/pick up sites would be locked and, therefore, serve two purposes: keeping theft down and reducing usage during the day. I know this will not solve the fighting problem, which is something else in and of itself. Banning cell phone usage during school hours for both staffers and students could begin to set an example of respect for appropriate learning behavior in our schools. As far as the fighting goes, has the school system looked into curriculum from other states that deals specifically with teens, bullying and fighting? Hillsborough is not the only school system to have this problem. It is time for schools, staffers, administrators and parents to take a serious look at what is happening behaviorally with our adolescents. Business as usual within our schools is no longer an acceptable belief. Who is going to rise to the task of creating safe spaces for all of our children and figure out how to change the behavior of those who are out of control? Mona Posinoff
[Last modified March 7, 2008, 02:25:03]
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by Lisa
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03/10/08 07:59 AM
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tell the kids and parents at VT and NIU, that got to call theirs parents while in school being shot at, some even saved lives, some got to say goodbye just before they died. ok, your right no phones in school, how about NO GUNS in school. ????????
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by just_me
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03/09/08 06:24 PM
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Hillsborough County Student Handbook simply states that electronic equipment is not allowed allowed at schools, this should include cell phones, but they only need to be turned off, who's gonna check?
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by Darryl
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03/07/08 01:10 PM
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Why does a student have a cell in the first place? When are parents going to act like PARENTS?? Just because they want it, doesn't mean they have to HAVE IT.
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by Laura
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03/07/08 01:05 PM
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Gee, I made it through school back in the old days without cell phones. So, does anybody wonder why are kids aren't learning anything? Teachers spend too much time correcting disturbing behavior!
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by Kay
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03/07/08 12:43 PM
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Parents and schools need to get a back bone. You don't have to give your child a cell phone. If you do, you can disallow them to take/use in school (look at your bill for call times). Drop can be done like a "coat check" w/ student volunteers.
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by Pam
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03/07/08 09:13 AM
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Ok, so who is going to supervise this drop-off? Who is going to pay 4 it? The schools are short of books, classrooms, teachers, etc. Why don't parents step up to the plate & let their kids know if the school takes their phones it's gone?
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by MB
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03/07/08 08:32 AM
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Why have cell phones in school? Because it's cool,how did we ever survive without them? Anything to maintain our 'attention deficit children' is a good thing. And, behavior out of control?! The simple solution is to do nothing; we're experts at that!
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by Lauren
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03/07/08 07:04 AM
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I disagree. With the violence in schools today, I think cell phones sgould stay in backpacks or purses or pockets. Use it and loose it. That's what happens at my daughter's high school. A parent has to retrieve it after school.
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by jane
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03/07/08 06:02 AM
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They don't need them at school and you can thank both school boards from the bay area for being cowards and allowing them. I have PARENTS who call and text message their child at school, then get angry when the child's phone is taken away.
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