phones in school

I think that we should be able to have our phones turned on in school because: what if there is an emergency and we need to call 911 because someone is in the school and is trying to kill us or hold us in the school. We would be able to call the police and get help on the situation; if we didn't have our phones turned on we might try to turn them on to call the police and get caught by whoever is trying to harm us. Or, what would happen if someone fell the in the hallway? We could call 911 and get them help. So, all in all, I think it is a good idea to be able to have our phones turned on.

Cole Heuerman

----Mrs. Cross' Long-Winded Response----

Thanks to Cole for bringing up this hot-button issue. I, of course, disagree with having cell phones on during school hours. At St. Anthony, at any rate, cell phones should be turned off and in your locker or book bag (not on your pocket).

It is often easy to rationalize the things that we want. People can rationalize bad or inappropriate behavior, they can rationalize breaking the rules, they can rationalize their desires. "Well, in my case ____ is okay because..."

Having your cell phone turned on during school hours is unnecessary for several reasons. As for the first argument--emergency situations--everyone is in close proximity to a land line phone. In my hallway alone, five phones are within easy access. Students or teachers should not contact 911 until they have informed the office. That is as simple as shouting or running for a teacher. If an accident occurs in the hallway: get a teacher--who will then call the office, send someone to the front office (if people are standing nearby). The office will handle the rest of the situation.

The school has procedures in place for hostage situations. The job of school administration and faculty is to safeguard our students. Let us handle the situation. The police do not recommend everyone with a cell phone making an emergency call. It ties up the line of communication and can actually make the situation more dangerous. When students make other calls out during an emergency situation, people panic and show up at the school. This makes the situation more dangerous for family members, but also more difficult for the emergency services personnel who are trying to diffuse the situation and maintain calm outside the school building. Also, FYI, some incendiary devices (explosives) can be detonated via cell phones. So, making a call during a situation where these devices may have a role in the danger only intensifies the potential for an explosion. In a hostage situation (if you are in the room with the person holding the school hostage), the worst thing you could do is not follow his or her "rules" -- you make them mad and they are more likely to open fire.

Outside emergencies: Parents and others should call the office prior to making a call to the student. If a child needs to be taken out of school, the office needs to know anyway. If another situation occurs--such as a death in the family--then a face-to-face explanation is much more reasonable than a phone call. The school's faculty will be glad to pass on messages to the students. It's part of our job, after all.

So, let's get to the real reason. We all know that very few people only use their cell phones for "emergency situations." Cell phone usage has become an addiction of sorts. People cannot seem to break away from the constant need for communication. Why? I wish I could explain it. I keep my cell phone turned off during school hours. It is off before I enter the building in the morning and not turned on again until I leave at the end of the day. The only people I need to communicate with during school hours are my students and members of the faculty and staff. Why shouldn't the students be expected to follow suit?

Last week a student left his cell phone turned on and it rang during class. Now, first, I have to wonder who would be calling a teenager during the normal school day... if it's another student, can't you just wait until lunch or when you see each other in the hallway or during class? I know that last year I called my nephew on his cell phone. I was living in Florida and in a different time zone. I forgot and just called him. His phone, luckily, was turned off. The point is: the ringing cell phone was a disruption. It also got the student in trouble.

How many of you would, if you were allowed to have them on you and turned on, could resist the temptation to text during class? Many students do so anyway. I'm sorry, but the temptation is too great. Even worse: teachers using their cell phones in class. Ugh! This always makes me so mad. How can we expect students to follow the rules if we set a bad example. Back to rationalization...

Many employers are saying "No!" to cell phone use during working hours; some state governments have restricted the use of cell phones while driving. The bottom line: why do we feel the need to be in constant contact? Why can't we wait until we get home or are in private to make phone calls? Why do people make calls from a bathroom stall? Why, why, why? The only thing I can think of is that we, as humans, have become so self-absorbed and selfish that we cannot look beyond our own desires. Yes, that's it.