A student sits in the hallway during lunch. She spends most of the hour talking with her friends and studying for an upcoming test. When she receives a text from her mom, she picks up her phone until a teacher walks by the group of students and tells her to put it away. Begrudgingly, the girl slides her phone into her backpack, leaving her parent’s pressing question unanswered, recalling the freedom she had in her previous years at WJ.
This school year, Montgomery County Public Schools implemented a new “No Cell, Bell to Bell” policy, prohibiting students from using Personal Mobile Devices (phones, smart watches, personal computers, airpods, etc.) during the school day. Although the county has good intentions for this policy—to encourage students to be more involved with learning and to decrease disruptions—some students believe that it may conflict with communication between families and that it won’t be effective at all.
During the school day, students aren’t allowed to use their phones at all. This includes reaching out to family members or employers, no matter the circumstance. Tons of students have jobs, and if a manager or boss sends information about the work schedule, students wouldn’t get the chance to view it until it is potentially too late. Students feel that this can pose a potential issue in terms of safety, as it can be vital to have contact with those outside of school, and this policy interrupts this…