MANCHESTER, N.H. – Should high school students be allowed to use phones in Manchester public schools? This is one of the issues expected to be discussed at Monday’s Board of School Committee (BOSC) meeting.
On Wednesday, the BOSC Committee on Student Conduct issued its recommendation for a proposed policy aimed at clarifying the district’s policy on “responsible use of technology in schools.” Up until that point, cell phone use had been banned in the district’s elementary and middle schools, and there was widespread support for making that explicitly part of the district’s policy. The proposal also recommended banning student cell phone use in classrooms without a teacher’s permission, cell phone use in bathrooms or locker rooms, and taking cell phone pictures or videos of other students without proper authorization.
Parents of students who violate these rules will automatically be emailed and notations will be placed in the school district’s Aspen system to alert other teachers of existing warnings the student may have received in other courses in which he or she has taken.
Several high school principals and district administrators also offered their insights into recommendations for implementing the policy, with Assistant Superintendent Forrest Ransdell recommending that the process not be detailed in the policy itself.
These recommendations noted that high school students should be allowed to use phones before school, after school, between classes, and possibly in study rooms to work on schoolwork or during lunch. However, no noise should be emitted from the phone speakers, headphones or earbuds should only be worn in one ear, and no phone conversations should be made without permission from an assistant principal and then only with a parent or guardian. Smartwatches should also only be used to tell the time. Students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) are permitted to use a cell phone under certain circumstances.
It was noted that these procedures would help high school students learn how to use cell phones responsibly, a skill they will need in real life after graduation. It was also noted that students need to be aware of the dangers of cell phones in situations such as driving and that the policy is aimed at phone use rather than ownership.
Grey McDonald, Memorial’s student representative, also recommended that students who use their phones after receiving a warning could be marked absent from class.
Following staff testimony, Ward 2 BOSC member Sean Parr recommended that the committee amend the proposed policy to require phones to be placed in a drop area, out of fear of liability issues and potential behavior escalations. Instead, it was recommended that teachers be allowed to ask students to put their phones away upon a first offense.
Parr also called for a policy change that would expel students who do not follow student conduct rules to allow teachers and school administrators more flexibility.
It was suggested that the policy change, if adopted on Monday, would only be a starting point and that data on the implementation of the policy would be examined for possible future changes to the policy.
