Need opinions on cell phones in schools

[RobertNashville]

I was offering a counterpoint to a post by pcrc11, not yours. Sorry for any confusion.

No doubt things have changed rapidly.

Ahh...I see.

[Guest TankerHC]

The problem as I see it is this. If cell phones are allowed for safety reasons they do no good when in a backpack turned off, and in the case of a shooter would be all but useless. For one thing, kids these days dont want old style phones. They want a Droid of some type or an iPhone. For anyone that owns one of these, and I do and have for a long time, you know these phones dont just come on automatically. It takes a minute. If someone is shooting (And that is the only real emergency that would justify a cell phone in school), that minute is too long. You cant keep them in sleep mode, because they wake as soon as someone calls. And of course schools simply are not going to allow phones to be on and ringing while teachers are teaching.

School shootings, and shooting in other places happen, but when you look at the numbers, they are rare.

I grew up in Baltimore in the 60's and 70's. Crime wasnt bad at all. But the solution to prevent it then, out my elementary and high school, is the same as it should be today. LEO's in the schools. We had two on duty police officers in our schools all day. Both of them served a dual purpose. School security, and they both were also "Officer Friendly". Giving classes on safety. In High School the two officers on duty were not "Officer Friendly" but they were security and were stationed at the two main entrances during morning hours and when school let out. Before classes began they patrolled outside, mostly making sure the kids werent smoking on school grounds, but also, actually doing their jobs as LEO's.

My daughter graduated from Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg 3 years ago, the Oak Grove Elementary and High School both had armed Hattiesburg Officers on duty as well as an ARMED School Security Guard.

Kids should worry about learning, not be worrying about whats going to happen (which will probably never happen) if a nutcase goes on the loose.

Place Armed Security and Cops in the Schools. Thats the solution. Forget the cell phones.

[TMF]

The problem as I see it is this. If cell phones are allowed for safety reasons they do no good when in a backpack turned off, and in the case of a shooter would be all but useless. For one thing, kids these days dont want old style phones. They want a Droid of some type or an iPhone. For anyone that owns one of these, and I do and have for a long time, you know these phones dont just come on automatically. It takes a minute. If someone is shooting (And that is the only real emergency that would justify a cell phone in school), that minute is too long. You cant keep them in sleep mode, because they wake as soon as someone calls. And of course schools simply are not going to allow phones to be on and ringing while teachers are teaching.

School shootings, and shooting in other places happen, but when you look at the numbers, they are rare.

I grew up in Baltimore in the 60's and 70's. Crime wasnt bad at all. But the solution to prevent it then, out my elementary and high school, is the same as it should be today. LEO's in the schools. We had two on duty police officers in our schools all day. Both of them served a dual purpose. School security, and they both were also "Officer Friendly". Giving classes on safety. In High School the two officers on duty were not "Officer Friendly" but they were security and were stationed at the two main entrances during morning hours and when school let out. Before classes began they patrolled outside, mostly making sure the kids werent smoking on school grounds, but also, actually doing their jobs as LEO's.

My daughter graduated from Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg 3 years ago, the Oak Grove Elementary and High School both had armed Hattiesburg Officers on duty as well as an ARMED School Security Guard.

Kids should worry about learning, not be worrying about whats going to happen (which will probably never happen) if a nutcase goes on the loose.

Place Armed Security and Cops in the Schools. Thats the solution. Forget the cell phones.

So because some kids want a smartphone no kids should be allowed to have any phones?? Last time I checked I'm a parent and can make choices for my child. If my child wants a smartphone instead of some crappy hand-me-down that can only dail 911 I will say "no".

Your logic presupposes that the only use for a cell phone is an active shooter. Kids get snatched up all the time coming home from school or friends houses. It might be rare from a statistical standpoint, but so what? It would be rare for a sinkhole to swallow my house, but I still have sinkhole coverage on my insurance policy. I'm surely not going to limit the safety precautions I take with my kids because folks like you think you know better. Don't want to give your kids a cell, then don't. But don't suppose that you speak for every other parent or feel as if my right to ensure my child's safety should be a decision made by anyone other than me.

[Guest TankerHC]

So because some kids want a smartphone no kids should be allowed to have any phones?? Last time I checked I'm a parent and can make choices for my child. If my child wants a smartphone instead of some crappy hand-me-down that can only dail 911 I will say "no".

Your logic presupposes that the only use for a cell phone is an active shooter. Kids get snatched up all the time coming home from school or friends houses. It might be rare from a statistical standpoint, but so what? It would be rare for a sinkhole to swallow my house, but I still have sinkhole coverage on my insurance policy. I'm surely not going to limit the safety precautions I take with my kids because folks like you think you know better. Don't want to give your kids a cell, then don't. But don't suppose that you speak for every other parent or feel as if my right to ensure my child's safety should be a decision made by anyone other than me.

You missed the point. No one is telling you that your kid cant have what you want your kid to have. And throwing in the fact that kids get snatched has nothing to do with carrying a cell phone, turned on, into a classroom. Your kid and anyone else can carry whatever they want, but it doesnt need to be turned on in the classroom. Ill say it again. Put the police to work in the schools. Keep the cell phones out. After class, turn them on and carry them. Its that simple.

[TMF]

You missed the point. No one is telling you that your kid cant have what you want your kid to have. And throwing in the fact that kids get snatched has nothing to do with carrying a cell phone, turned on, into a classroom. Your kid and anyone else can carry whatever they want, but it doesnt need to be turned on in the classroom. Ill say it again. Put the police to work in the schools. Keep the cell phones out. After class, turn them on and carry them. Its that simple.

Right, I agree they shouldn't have them on in the classroom. The reason I interpreted your post to suggest that kids shouldn't be allowed to have them at all was because they wouldn't be practical in and "active shooter" scenario, and not addressing the primary reasons why parents would want their kids to have a 911 capability before and after school.

[UncleJak]

If my son's school had a LEO, like some other schools, I would feel much better about their policy. They do not have a LEO and it seems the staff is blind to the possibility that something bad could happen. I was told that if there were an emergency, the principal could authorize the use of cell phones. Too little too late in my opinion. One response I was given : "stuff like that doesn't happen here...". Good answer, moron....

[sigmtnman]

I'm with the no cellphone group. But just to clarify, I'm of the no federal school system group too. I know folks will hate on me about that, but it's my opinion that the institution that is the federal school system is setup to create obedient workers who respond to bells and fall in line without much thought. Any time you impose a rigid framework on a system, it limits the variation of the output which is not good for our society or for the kids in general.

[AU_88]

The problem as I see it is this. If cell phones are allowed for safety reasons they do no good when in a backpack turned off, and in the case of a shooter would be all but useless. For one thing, kids these days dont want old style phones. They want a Droid of some type or an iPhone. For anyone that owns one of these, and I do and have for a long time, you know these phones dont just come on automatically. It takes a minute. If someone is shooting (And that is the only real emergency that would justify a cell phone in school), that minute is too long. You cant keep them in sleep mode, because they wake as soon as someone calls. And of course schools simply are not going to allow phones to be on and ringing while teachers are teaching.

School shootings, and shooting in other places happen, but when you look at the numbers, they are rare.

I grew up in Baltimore in the 60's and 70's. Crime wasnt bad at all. But the solution to prevent it then, out my elementary and high school, is the same as it should be today. LEO's in the schools. We had two on duty police officers in our schools all day. Both of them served a dual purpose. School security, and they both were also "Officer Friendly". Giving classes on safety. In High School the two officers on duty were not "Officer Friendly" but they were security and were stationed at the two main entrances during morning hours and when school let out. Before classes began they patrolled outside, mostly making sure the kids werent smoking on school grounds, but also, actually doing their jobs as LEO's.

My daughter graduated from Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg 3 years ago, the Oak Grove Elementary and High School both had armed Hattiesburg Officers on duty as well as an ARMED School Security Guard.

Kids should worry about learning, not be worrying about whats going to happen (which will probably never happen) if a nutcase goes on the loose.

Place Armed Security and Cops in the Schools. Thats the solution. Forget the cell phones.

You can put the phone in airplane mode, then its a matter of seconds before you could dial 911.

[pcrc11]

The day my kid needs to have cell phone on him in school because of the possibiltiy of a school shooting is the day I will agree there are to many guns in this society. Besides what is he or she susposed to do with the cell phone in the event of a school shooting, throw it at the shooter?

[sigmtnman]

The day my kid needs to have cell phone on him in school because of the possibiltiy of a school shooting is the day I will agree there are to many guns in this society. Besides what is he or she susposed to do with the cell phone in the event of a school shooting, throw it at the shooter?

nah, he's supposed to video it and put it on youtube....

[Garufa]

Kids do not need phones. /topic

Adults shoud be looking our for them, right?

[sigmtnman]

Kids do not need phones. /topic

Adults shoud be looking our for them, right?

If the Adults were looking out for them, they wouldn't send them to federal schools without an education first.

[Guest TankerHC]

You can put the phone in airplane mode, then its a matter of seconds before you could dial 911.

Even in Airplane mode, the phones turn on as soon as someone calls in. So the issue with the phones ringing in the classroom is still there.

[AU_88]

Even in Airplane mode, the phones turn on as soon as someone calls in. So the issue with the phones ringing in the classroom is still there.

That has not been the case with any of my iPhones.

[Guest seawolf138]

Even in Airplane mode, the phones turn on as soon as someone calls in. So the issue with the phones ringing in the classroom is still there.

A cell phone in airplane mode has no signal...that's the whole point, no signal to interfere with the airplane's gadgets. How would it know to turn itself on with an incoming call? You don't get anything on a phone in airplane mode until you turn off airplane mode. At which point you will receive notice of voice mail for missed calls and get your texts.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[Chadastrophic]

Phones have had a silent option for as long as I can remember, on and ready to go, without any audible alerts or vibrations. Android and iPhones have free apps to set sound profiles by day and time, and even GPS based restrictions.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

[SonnyCrockett]

\the cell phone has turned people in crash test dummies

[Chadastrophic]

the cell phone has turned people in crash test dummies

Mmm mmm mmm.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

[Guest TankerHC]

And your right. I am thinking on mine, I am able in Airplane Mode (I fly a lot) to disable data but keep the cell service on.

[gregintenn]

I'm not a fan of most teachers, but the last thing they need is the distraction of cell phones. If there is an emergency, all the teachers will have cell phones, as well as the school's landline. If you think your child will keep it turned off as he's supposed to, you have way more faith in him than I do mine.

I'd suggest you take this opportunity to teach him about obeying rules. If it's that big a deal to you, consider homeschooling him.

[Guest TankerHC]

Since were on this topic, I saw this app for iOS and Droids on Fox. And its only 3 bucks.

Panic button

Just tap the Red Panic Button, and an alert will be sent to your list of preset emergency contacts via email, text message and Twitter if you choose. Included in the alerts are your exact GPS coordinates and a Google Maps link.

The text of your panic message is customizable. Red Panic Button for Android is also capable of dialing an emergency response number when activated.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.ucsoftware.panicbuttonpro

[Chucktshoes]

Mmm mmm mmm.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

I see what you did there.