This goes to show parenting for the most part sucks. Very liberal minded parenting going on. All the other kids are doing it so I better make sure mine does too kind of mentality. Present day society has bad attitudes which are getting worse and worse. (The attitudes of I will do what I want when I want and you can't tell me what to do.) I see these attitudes of high school kids who enter the work place thinking they can pull the crap they pull in school and get away with it. They get the rude awakening of what its like in the real world when they are told "you're fired." These kids like to violate cell phone policies in the workplace as well as so many other policies. And a majority of parents seem to think the schools are supposed to raise their brats for them.

MATTHEW516- you have tainted logic. Is the glass half empty or half full?? If it weren't for cell phones, people couldn't ruin society. If it weren't for people, phones couldn't ruin society. Get the picture?

KIDS DON'T NEED CELL PHONES!!!

Kids don't need cell phones. All this what-if nonsense about emergencies needs to stop. Emergencies are clearly not what these kids are using the phones for. It disgusts me that so many parents buy cell phones for kids younger and younger all the time. "Parenting" is getting worse and worse as time goes on.

Signal jamming equiptment is available.

The problem with this issue is finding a consequence that fits matters and fits the "crime".
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Suspension, pre-expulsion or expulsion for a cell phone is a bit much but anything less doesn't impact the student enough.
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It is a tough power struggle. Like speeding. We care, all know it is illegal but despite the consequences, most of us, do it.
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This comes down to the parents. As long as parents excuse this behavior students will continue messing with the cell phones during class. Parents need to understand that without a cell phone STUDENTS ARE STILL SAFE. They do not need a cell phone on while at school.
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In fact, text your child...if he/she responds take the cell for 1 week. There is no reason a child needs a cell phone on while at school. None, zero.
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Please don't give me the, what about a shooter?, example. Teachers typically have families and cell phones and if there is an emergency there is a plan in place without the need of students having their phone on.
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It is about education...not entertainment.

How about just saying "NO!" But then we as a society are not very good at that, are we now? Fear not...the way of the world will force a change in that behavior soon enough, as we certainly don't have the fortitude to do it!

"be_happy
Mar 29, 2009 at 9:49 p.m.
Suggest removal To be more specific,he wants to hang out at a friends house at the last minute after school and cant call me.
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I can see why they didn't let him use the phone. Clearly not an emergency!!
I am sure if it was URGENT he could use the phone.
Is there a pay phone in the schools anymore?

I agreee phones in the bag. Only before, after and lunch time for phones. Go back to passing notes haha. Not really. That disturbs too.

The reason it's an issue at school is because parents don't make it an issue at home!

I voted to ban them. I was in middle school ten years ago, back when we used notes to communicate with friends, and even that was not allowed. We all survived with no cell phones and if we needed to make a phone call we could go to the office or use a pay phone. Either way, it was NOT impossible to call my mom if there was an emergency. Now as an adult I had one cell phone and I got rid of it. I do not talk and drive and there for I only really used it at home. I am doing just fine with a home phone. It's kind of nice to hear a real ring in stead of a warbled rap ringtone. Kids can talk all they want before and after school and at lunch. And if they need to make a call for a ride or whatever they can go to the office.
also, if the school systems can ban certain band t shirts (marilyn manson, grateful dead, nine inch nails) or ban unnatural hair colors, or ban studded collars or wallet chains, it seems to me that cell phones would be banned as well. The excuses for these bans that the schools have TOLD ME was that the certain articles in question are distracting, disrupt class and could be seen as representing violent, offensive or drug related activity. I think a cell phone falls under all 3 categories.

Break the umbilical cord people. Kiddies do not need to have a phone with them in school. If you need to reach them or vice versa they can go to the office. Worked for decades and if it isn’t broke don’t fix it. Too late it seems as society has given into the whims of the baby generation (meaning cry till they get what they want). My sister is a prime example. She can’t go anywhere without checking in on the kiddies. Calling several times in the course of a few hours. What is the point to the constant hand holding. These kiddies will grow up and become the 30 some things living in your basement because of no ability to think or act on their own.

Excellent point, Gman. Parents are the key. Parents, what is more inportant to you, your kid's future, or how you "feel" about a given situation? The right thing to do is never the easiest way. Emotions are liabilities, people. Don't let them rule your life.

My understanding is that many students use texting on their cell phones to facilitate drug deals in school, which I think is reason enough for a total ban. By 'total ban' I mean silenced and locked in the lockers during school hours. There are many legit reasons for students to have cell phones, but not in school.

You know, the argument for having a cell phone hs always been, "in case of emergency". However, the vast majority of cell phone users are using them for non-emergency purposes. Unless there is a medical reason, a child has no business carrying a cell phone to school. And a parent who allows it is causing yet more insurmountable problems to an educational system which is already over-run with problems that the school cannot solve. The largest problems at schools are problems that begin in the homes of the kids. The schools can't fix those problems. It's insane. You have to have a license to catch a fish but anyone can have a child. Parents need to be parents if the schools are to have any hope. This cell phone issue is just another in a long line excuses for not attending school...let me clarify...just because you are at the school doesn't mean your head is in the books where it belongs.

matt516,no my son can't just go home to get his phone.For starters,he doesnt have one and,we live across town from his school.I pick him up everyday.If he wants to go to a friends after school,no problem.Let me know ahead of time so I dont drive all the way over there for nothing.The school he was in before allowed him to use their phones so there was never a problem.Im not saying let kids chat during school,just during breaks or lunch.No harm in that!

hannah yes purses are acceptable now. Where else are the girls going to put their phones, money , keys, and make up that they are hiding from mom & dad. I see several kids walking out of school and the first thing they do is grab their cell and start dialing/texting. Once two girls were texting each other as they were walking together! now that was a waste of air time.

Can students use heroin between classes too, or do they have to wait for lunch?
Why all this "discussion"? Seems like a rather simple problem and solution -- cell phones should stay in lockers and be available at the end of the class day.
Few of us are so important that we need to be in touch 24/7, and those who are mostly wish they weren't.
Someone full of imaginative excuses will no doubt posit the argument that in the case of a school shooting incident cell phones in possession would help. As school shootings are usually over in 3-5 minutes and rarely do police arrive and get in position in less than 5-7 minutes, the only cell phone that would likely be of assistance in such circumstances is an old brick-style phone -- at least you'd be able to whack an offender over the head with it! If that sort of insurance is felt necessary, let the teachers be the ones to carry the phones.
In closing, here's a little word that works quite well and goes a long way toward preparing young people for their later-life experiences and responsibilities -- NO!

Thank you, hannah.
That being said, my daughter locks her cellphone in her locker in the morning and doesn't take it out until she leaves school at the end of the day. She is intelligent enough to understand the school rules.

Hannah, while you have good intentions, you haven't "been there, done that" so you have absolutely no validity regarding parenting. `

That said, we have 4 kids aged 27, 25, 21 and 19. We also have 3 grandchildren, so I am quite qualified, I believe.

From the parent teacher's conferences to the school policies, etc... what I see happening to the school districts is a total breakdown of authority. Students no longer respect their teachers. There seems to be a mentality of entitlement with kids nowadays.

I'm entitled to have a cell phone (everyone does...) I'm entitled to be rude in class (hey, I showed up, didn't I?) I'm entitled to disregard every adult in authority (because I don't have to deal with it at home) I do as I please, I say what I want, I am the center of everything.

This mentality is going to backfire in the very near future and the only ones to hold accountable are the parents of these kids who will never be held ACCOUNTABLE for their own actions. Kids learn from example... what example are YOU setting for them?

hannah - having kids is the best blessing you will ever have in life but also the hardest job u will never get paid to do lol

mikki - i am glad your daughter had her cell phone too, i think that is probably the biggest reason why children who are big enough to be responsible should have the phones for safety reasons why away from home.

billnewbie

Your comment about schools not wanting to enforce their rules because of backlash is somewhat correct. However, your assumptions that, "revenue enhancement, since expelled students mean less state aid."

Is not correct, if you are being specific to Janesville and many of the surrounding districts. Expelled student MAY mean less state aid. Fortunately for Janesville and many other districts, the expelled students often do COUNT because of the district programs they end up attending. TATE, TAGOS, Diversion, in Janesville all take expelled students and all those students COUNT.

The biggest problem with cell phones is the students/parents. Nobody wants to get in a power struggle over a cell phone. They are an annoyance, like pants around the waist, not usually a danger. They should not be used in schools by students but all teachers and administrators need to "pick their battles" and the cell phone battle isn't seen as worth it by many. This leads to more problems for the teachers willing to enforce the rules because if admin. doesn't see it as worth it and the next hour teacher doesn't see it as worth it, the struggle is that much more difficult.

Oh, and all of you asking to give the students respect by having a don't ask don't tell type policy it doesn't work. The students do not respect that type of policy. Unfortunately for many students, if it isn't zero tolerance it isn't worth following.

This is a tough issue that isn't going to go away. I really wish all parents, students, teachers and administrators could respect a TURN IT OFF UNTIL 3PM rule. Have, leave it off, and don't use it unless it is a TRUE EMERGENCY.

I don't see that happening...sad

I'm curious... How many of you folks who say kids shouldn't even take their cell phones to school actually have school age kids with cell phones right now? (Used to have school age kids doesn't count.)

Sorry, jayvee, I am glad MY daughter had HER cellphone on the way to school when a predator tried to abduct her.
I hope something like that never happens to you. I am not off track at all.

They probably are illegal, but our legislatures would find it difficult to ignore a request by the education establishment to grant an exception for schools if they were asked and if the teacher's union agreed.

Cell phone jammers are illegal in the US aren't they? Tehy were a couple of years ago in public places. I do know some upscale restaurants on the East coast use them to enhance the dining pleasure of those less crude but I thought they had to get them from Europe where they are more widely used.

The real problem here is that school authorities are hesitant to enforce their rules, regardless of which rule, due to their apprehension of the backlash that such enforcement invariable induces. Irate parents demanding that "junior" be freed of his well earned consequences are common results of enforcement. If these authorities would actually adhere to principles and discipline effectively, there wouldn't be any need for special rules for cell phone use as the current rules covering classroom disruption are already adequate to the task. Yes, that may mean a doubling, even tripling of the expulsion rate, which goes against the authorities' underlying, and prevalent purpose, revenue enhancement, since expelled students mean less state aid.
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Since school authorities are reluctant to exercise their authority, the best solution is one already mentioned here, cell phone jammers. Turn on the jammers with the first bell, shut them off with the last. The phones will still work as note pads as the jammers only stop radio waves. And should some urgent need for telecommunications arise during the school day, then the old fashioned methods are still available, call your little darlings through the school office or leave a message, or they can call you from there or a pay phone if there really is something important to communicate. But all the monkey business will stop and a better education may result. Isn’t that why we send them to school in the first place?

another whole issue many of you are missing is that many cell phones allow unfiltered internet access. Which some kids go online and look at inappropriate material. another reason that kids should not have cell phones especially at school.
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Again this falls on the parents, but i believe many parents do not think about this and block the internet usage on children's cell phone, because they want to be able to download ringers, wallpapers, and such.

hannah- That brings back memories. Those with a purse were "dirtballs" where I went to school. I think the difference now is designer purses.

planter..cell phones haven't ruined our society, PEOPLE have. Just like guns don't kill people! PEOPLE do!
Again, here we go again for the thousandth time...you ready, here's the word: ACCOUNTABILITY!!!!!!!

Chad_vader, the teachers are currently enforcing the rules, whatever they are. I think a simple "keep it in your pocket when in class" policy gives the students a measure of responsibility and the opportunity to learn the consequences of not following the rules if they break them. That's part of what school is for, isn't it? A simple office-issued pass can let teachers know if a student has been granted an exception for using their cell phone in class.

For all you older parents who feel that cell phones have ruined our society you may want to rethink that. First off, it often seems that cell phone etiquette is just as often abused by adults as children. At a scholarship award ceremony last year with 20 kids in attendence and nearly 40 adults, seven cell phones went off during the ceremony, of which all seven were adults. All of the kids had their phones on silent or off. Second, while cells arent a necessity, they do help save money. After paying $5.25 a gallon for diesel last year, it was much cheaper for my parents to have me pick my sister up from school after I was done, rather than drive the 15 minutes to and back from school twice a day to pick her up themselves. because we both had cell phones we could contact each other easily. And for all you people that think cell phones have caused people to become less social-rethink. After going to school in the Rocky Mountains, my phone has allowed me to stay in contact with friends and family at home and maintain those strong friendships from high school. Times are changing and I applaud Milton High School with a positive phone policy that teaches students a good way to use cell phones.

behappy..why can't your kid go home and get his cell phone and call you from there? Are you going to tell me it's too much burden and work for your child? If it's important enough to be called if they choose to hang out with friends after school, it's worth the effort to go home to get it. If nothing else, why doesn't your kid shut the thing off, put it in their locker and they can use it after school then?? There's way's to make this situation work, it's just that there's too many parents who use their children to make a point that sometimes doesn't make a good point. Kids are at school to learn and show respect for their authorities. If our schools are forced to give into what people believe to be "right" these days, this will be the last stand before all hell brakes loose. The schools are the last hope we have it would seem before all of our kids become disconnected completely because too many parents at home have no clue! Be careful what you wish for.

To be more specific,he wants to hang out at a friends house at the last minute after school and cant call me.

My child just transfered to another school and Im upset.He has no cell phone,because I thought He could always use the school phone.I tried to contact him one day and the school told me they dont allow kids to use the phones there.I got mad at the person because,WTF? I need to talk to my child! She said they would pass on a message but that isnt why I called.His contact with me is through his friends cell phones.I have NEVER in my life heard of a school that would require a kid to have a cell cuz they are not allowed to use the real phones! I cant afford for my kid to have his own cell so what is he suppose to do when he needs to call me or I need to speak with him?No such thing as pay phones any more!

People have become more dependant on technology than PEOPLE. People aren't built to endure that type of paradigm. The only reason society is even now running on 2 of 8 cylinders is due to the fact that there are a handfull of people in our communities who truly understand what things like cell phones, video games, TV and other techno advancements are doing to our generations. Just like Darius said, we're a society of disconnected drones. Disconnected and ignorant to what's real anymore. It's time for people to wake up and step up before we lose everything.

The DISCONNECTED GENERATION! The more electronically connected our generations get, the more socially disconnected they get. It's no wonder kids are so lost these days. Between emails and textmessaging there's no human contact anymore. It's impossible to build trust and relationships without person to person contact. Bottom line.

By their own admission 50% of the text messages my students receive during the school day are from their parents. Age has nothing to do with maturity, common sense, or courtesy regarding cell phone use. One only has to look at the audience of professional sporting events, concerts, and plays to see many adults either texting or talking on cell phones that should be turned off. Kids have always imitated adult behavior whether it be good or bad. I see school administrators and principals who have a difficult time being separated from their Blue Tooth or cell phone. I am buying the jammer - one for my classroom and one to carry with me.

jayvee-- should I keep a list in my pocket to keep up with who's 18 and who's not?

rkkraa - maybe have jayvee give them a lesson on adult behavior! I feel sorry for you, this should not be your problem to enforce.

Jayvee - Age has nothing to do with it. It the rules of the domain that matters. Do you shut your phone off at the theater?

I work in a high school and everytime I am in the hall passing time or during the hour I am telling someone to put the phone away. They are rude and don't really care that you ask them nicely. Some days I will admit I turn my head and act like I don't see them. The battle is too much. I get sick of being treated like crap. We are told to enforce the rules but I don't want to get spit on or attacked over a damn phone. Any suggestions?

Jayvee-
Although a student may be an adult, they are still a student. It falls under the same concept that many parents have about their homes, "So long as you live under my roof, you will live by my rules." Schools need to have the same the set of standards for their students. "So long as you are a student under our roof, you will abide by our rules." The 18 year old's right is to not attend an institution whose rules they are not willing to abide by, not to dictate the rules.

OK, I wasnt going to bite but you got me. During Colombine, there were so many kids using their cell phones that the what ever it's called was flooded. Because of this the police had a lot of trouble communicating. Would you want your child's safety to be affected because of this?

My old friend from Boston, Samuel Morse, just asked me, ".-- …. .- - .. … .- -.-. . .-.. .-.. .--. …. --- -. .?" .-.. --- .-..

Good greif, I was at the store the other day in the bathroom trying to "p"- and here is a lady in a stall next to me going over her grocery list for later with whomever-AND in the next stall a teenage gal screaming at her boyfriend.. I actually felt violated! lol
This cell phone thing is and has been out of control...

Interesting set of comments. Having been one of the developers of the first cell phone service in the US, I still can't believe the extent that these things are being used. There are enough phones out there for half the people in the world.

That said, I can see how this can be a nuisance in class. Back in the early 90's I was in Japan and a number of big hotels and restaurants started to ban cell phone use in the areas where it would disturb others. The actually did set up little mini-jammers so that the phone cannot work inside. While that might be too severe an action, teachers and administrators should all agree that this thing is not a toy to be used anytime except after school, period. They will get over the withdrawal symptoms eventually.

What I would really worry about is when the cost of the high end devices come down significantly to the point where they do use them for class notes, etc. How will a teacher know whether some kid is taking notes or texting his girlfriend? maybe some hotshot cell phone developer can find a way to pre-program these things to only work in the absense of a simple little signal that a school can turn on when they want their classroom back.

I can understand a parent wanting their child have a cell phone if they are walking to and from school. It is used as a safety measure in these times when sexual predators are targeting vulnerable children. And if the kids have these phones parents can feel a little safer sending their kids out the door. I can also see having your teen driver having a cell for an emergency situation such as the car breaking down, or other such emergency.
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But I am not for having the phones turned on during school. Yes they should remain in purses or backpacks (some say lockers but they could easily be stolen there) and they should be turned OFF completely until the end of the day. If not confiscate them and call a parent to release the cell. If happens again ban the privilege.
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I have a middle schooler and she has a prepaid cell for ONLY when she goes to a rec night/school function and for when we are at a event like the fair for in case we get separated for some reason. We use to use 2 way radios for that, but the pre paid cell has better reception and range, for our needs.
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As for kids saying they can't live without their cell that is BS. There are many things in this life you CAN live without and texting/calling friends while in school is one of them.

My eldest daughter is entering Marshall Middle School in the fall, and, will be getting this phone:

http://www.fireflymobile.ie/original-fir...

It is controlled by me (mom), and will be pre-set to only make/accept calls from myself, her father, grandparents, and, our neighbor, and, of course 911. Kids do not need to be "chatting" about stupidity with their friends, and, I intend to be in charge of who she speaks to. She will have a phone because she will be walking to/from school and I want her to have it in case of an emergency. It is DEFINITELY going to be harder for me to set this up with the "locks' and to hear her whine about wanting to talk to friends, but, I am her mother- I am responsible for her making decent decisions, and, will make them for her until she can vie for herself. Too many parents take the easy route and "observe" their children growing up instead of actually "raising" them. It is easier to sit around and watch, but, our kids & our society pays the price when they raise themselves.

Where I work there are no cell phones allowed in the work area because it messes with the scanners we use. The policy there is you get caught with it (in your pocket or wherever)the first time you are written up..the second time you are fired. These kids drive me nuts with these phones attached to them like glue and what scares me the most is that they are driving or will be driving soon. Of course adults are just as bad at that habit too, I guess its monkey see monkey do...

my grandmother has a big print cell phone. You should see how much she uses it. She'd give these kids competition.

Browneyes33 -- I couldn't have said it better....can you hear me now :)

It is crazy how dependent we have gotten on cell phones. They were still not as popular when I was in college (in the mid 90's) and those that had one used it for emergencies. Oh my, can you believe I got through college without a cell phone and drove home 2 1/2 hours from La Crosse? I can't even imagine what the college classrooms are like these days. Kids DO NOT need to be texting while in a h.s. classroom when they will see their friends later. And the parent who wouldn't have known where the VB game was held- you don't think you would have eventually found out? How did parents do it in the past? Here's what I think the real problem is: kids have absolutely no respect for anyone but themselves therefore they think they should bring whatever in to the classroom and show their lack of respect. The other problem is that parents are stupid to be spending money on the fanciest of items (cell phones, ipods, etc) on kids that aren't responsible in the first place- I have 1st graders who have this stuff! What does a 1st grader need a cell phone for? You want to know something else? Some people supposedly can't afford to feed their kids but the kids have this stuff.

Absolute foolishness!!! Its the parents responsibility to be a PARENT!!! I would bet money, half these kids have phones simply because the parents didn't want them to "be left out". They're buckling under the typical teenage antics of making Mom and Dad miserable until they get their way. Nothing new here... kids have done this for decades.

What has changed is parents' attitudes toward parenting. Give the kid what they want so Mom and Dad can have a little peace.

Nothing could POSSIBLY be so important that the child (who is supposed to be getting an education) needs to be connected to everyone, every minute of the day!

I'll tell you the kids are not learning cell manners from their parents. I work in a medical office and you have no idea how often an adult will not get off the phone when medical personnel, including the doctor, comes in the room. I've even seen a few mouth "just one minute". We usually make them wait an additional 10 minutes for their rudeness. The kids just keep their head down and keep texting when we are trying to talk to them. Sure cell phones are handy, but how did we ever let it escalate to this point? Somebody needs to take control here. Are you afraid the little darlin's feeling will be hurt? It is clear the kids are in the driver's seat when we've allowed it to go this far.

There should not be any cell phones allowed during school hours. It is a disruption to everyone and it is wasted faculty time disciplining them. Every rule you give the kids about cell phones they push past the limit set. I see kids coming to school in the AM who say they didn't get any sleep all night as their phones were going off all night. You say they should be responsible enough to handle it-what about the parents who think their elementary kids need phones?? We see fights because so-and-so texted so-and-so about their boyfriend,their outfit, their friends. They wouldn't probably say that to someones face but they think they can text it, and the next thing you have a fight in a bathroom. Turn the phones off, and unplug the IPods and get back to learning.

It just blows my mind with other issues like: drugs, teen prenancy, gang crap...That teachers and facaulty even have to deal with this..

not to berate kids, as I too probably looked at life with the same attitude when I was that age, but the phrase “I would die without it probably,” just shows why parents need to start teaching their kids what is a necessity and what is not.

if you are old enough to have a cell phone then you should be responsible enough to use it when permitted, as an adult i know i have to turn my phone off in certain places and abide by that even though other adults do not, with this being mostly high school students that have the phones they need to be reponsible for their actions and their parents need to teach them that as well. either way you want it to go the kids are going to have the cell phones regardless so i think everyone needs to come to a middle ground and go with something that works for everything. i would much rather the schools worry about who has a weapon in school than whether or not someone has a cell phone

latinmami2 & janesvillecomments, who would you suggest to be the cell phone policy police? I think teachers have enough to do. No cell phones in class are needed.
Macdaddy - the annoyance outweighs the benefits for those to be used in a classroom. Maturity has a lot to do with knowing when you are using the technology for good use (notes) and when it is an annoyance (texting, ect.) Maybe a signal blocker would help. They could take notes and schedule, yet not text messages. And give the teacher a switch for the signal blocker, so in case of an emergency, communication can be opened again.

The rule should be no cell phones allowed on the person from bell to bell. But the rule isn't helpful if there isn't back up from home. Again, a teacher's responsibility for students is limited - essentially to educating them and keeping them safe when within their sight. A parent's responsibility is limitless. If the rule is no phone, the parental expectation of their student should be no phone. If the parent dislikes the rule, they should go through the proper channels to change it and not fool their children that they are so special that the rule applies to everyone else but them.

i think the cell phones in school have good and bad things about them. as long as they are not using them to text back and forth while in class and use them during lunch or breaks or the appropriate times it is okay obviously if they can't do that there has to be consequences

I think students should be allowed to have cell phones in school as long as they are turned off in class (allow exceptions if pre-approved by the school administration). To be fair to the other students, after the 3rd offense, the principal gets to put the phone in a vice and reduce it's thickness by 50% before returning it to the student's parent.

You can't just make blanket statements about cell phones, because i had a 8th grader ask me if they could bring in their ipod touch because they can take notes on it and on the scheduler remind them of homework due. I said no, but the student made a good point. There is technology out there to help students, and are we saying you can't use it now, but in a couple of years you need to in order to get a job. Seems a little ridiculous to me, at least.

beeferer, that might be what it comes to. I know there are a lot of good kids out there, but without putting limits on stuff anyone would try and do it. This is why we have laws and penalties for breaking them. Anyone who buys the load of bull put out as to why cell phones are needed in class, well look in the mirror. You will see societies problem.

Gee, seems like we made it just fine with messages going through the school office. This "need" to be connected all the time is pathetic. School or work are not the appropriate places to play around, and 99% of the use is just that. This abuse must stop. They can't learn to not be slaves to technology without someone to teach them boundaries.
Mom - if your kid could differentiate between what is an emergency and what is not, this would be no problem. But kids like to go over boundaries because parents seem to be easy pushovers and use the "emergency" excuse too much. what if there was an emergency and the cell phone service was out, what then?

Kids do not need cell phones in school, for parents to say they feel safer is just dumb..These phones, Ipods etc.. are toys and distraction from the learning dept.. How many years have we gone without?? And this teen is saying- she couldnt live without it..Oh yes you could, cell phones are merely a convenience.. Its ridiculous to drive by a grade school, Junior High-High school , and see almost 3/4 of the kids walking and talking on a cell!

Realistically, times have changed, and this generation is growing up with the expectation that a phone isn't something that reaches a house, but a person. Ringtones in class is obviously out but even the vibration of text messages can be distracting. The most effective approach is probably to create disincentives to texting or calling during class times, period ("don't call me here!"), as then the pressure comes from the students themselves. That's where a sensible phone confiscation policy comes in.

For under $30 including shipping you can get a jammer that will block all signals in the classroom. I think I'll get one for the car to get idiots around me to hang up while driving. Check it out here: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sk...

I think parents need to step up,, as most parents I am sure pay the bill. Evansville allows them but with restrictions. We told our son if we ever got called to come and retrieve his phone because he abused the policy , we would let them keep it. We have never had a problem.. Most of the time he does not even take it ... As some one said he sees his friends at school.

this just goes back to some comments I made back some time ago, are the teachers there to teach or just be a babysitter, take the darn things away or ban them, if our school officials are not capable of handling things in a best judgement way then we have a serious problem

At Parker, the only way I would find out that they changed the location of my daughter's volleyball games was by her borrowing someone's phone and calling me. Otherwise, I would show up at Parker for a game and find out they changed the location to Madison. Needless to say, I bought her a cell phone!

You would think with the technology these days there should be a way to block all cell phone signals inside the school, but let them though before & after school

Feather pens? We used smoke signals and often tagged cave walls to mark our territory. My how times have changed.....

I remember hearing last year that during a lock down at school, students snuck texts out to parents and parents then called the school so much that the school's phone system shut down. We as parents need to realize that needing to know everything about our children during the day can even make scary situations worse.

If you don't want your kids using cell phones in school.....Take them away!!

Who's the adult here??

my daughter is a Jr at Evansville and i feel that cell phones should not be allowed in school at all...I made it through HS with no cell phone....and as a parent i do feel that they should be taken away even on the 1st offense.They are there to learn. whats to say that they aren't sending answers to other students who are about to take a test.

cell phones are an addiction with teenagers. find me a teen thats walking down the street without their thumbs going

momfirst1979, why dont you go to school and sit in on some of your daughters classes, see what the teachers have to put up with. Take the cell phone away

We got along fine before cell phones.

My daughter always has her phone on her while in school. I feel safer knowing that she can get hold of me asap if need be. She's a senior at Craig and they had "threats" there today, I wouldn't have known had it not been her texting me to tell me.

Heh. I remember when any device, like a cellphone or pager, were not allowed. They were considered "gang related". LOL