Cellphones In School
Author: Nancy Marks, MT43 News reporter
Cellphones in School
MT43 News Staff Reporter
During an interview with MT Free Press reporter Alex Sakariassen, writer of the MT Free Press article in this issue, Sakariassen noted Governor Gianforte’s budget line item is still listed for cell phone security in Montana’s schools. The line item notes $500,000 each year for two years, allowing Montana schools to apply for grants to secure students’ cell phones safe keeping during school hours.
In an interview with Townsend School Superintendent Brad Racht last week, he explained the school’s position on whether students should have their cell phones during school hours.
“It’s something we have looked at a lot over the years. We have debated the role of cell phone use during school hours. We understand parents need to contact students for appointments or for pickup after sports practices. We also understand that cellphone usage can be very distracting, both for the student and the teacher. To that end at first, we urged students to check their phones out of reach, but that has not always worked,” he said.
The cellphone use policy is now up to each individual teacher. Some teachers insist the kids leave the phone in their lockers or put them in a secure place during school hours. Other teachers are much more lenient. If students have finished their assignments, they may take their phones out to use, even listen to music if they have earbuds. This, according to senior Grady Erickson:
“The policy changes from teacher to teacher. Strict teachers make us put our phones at the front of the room until we leave the classroom. This mostly happens in history and language classes. Math and science classes are the lenient ones where we can use our phones when we have free time,” Erickson explained.
Townsend Schools’ cellphone usage policy has, for the most part, been very successful. Racht said, “Across the board, students are a lot less distracted and more focused in class when cellphone use is limited.” he said.
He explained that even in a strict environment, the policy is if a student needs to call home, he or she can ask permission, and it will be granted. Parents have been good with that policy.
A larger issue with student cellphone use is the anxiety caused by its use with what students share with each other. Students, teachers and parents agree on that issue.
As a partial antidote to student anxiety caused by cellphone messaging, Racht said the school provides each student a Chromebook which gives students access to the internet so they can do research or their homework. “Through technical control, we can monitor and control what students are looking at on their Chromebooks. We also clarify cellphone use in our handbook and in our policy statement. Through these methods, we can keep students safe,” he explained.
Racht doubted that Townsend Schools would apply for a $100,000 grant from the state to install elaborate storage spaces for students’ cell phones. “Our policy is working pretty well,” he ended.
Townsend Schools has a population of around 700 students, 200 of whom are high school students and the remainder elementary and middle school students. Students as young as those in the lower elementary bring their cellphones to school, Racht commented.
