Gov. Matt Meyer, in his State of the State on Thursday, said he wants to eliminate students’ availability to their cellphones in schools. Do you agree that this is a positive move? If so, what about during emergencies? How should the state go about regulating the use of phones during instruction?
Cellphones should not be allowed. If a parent needs to contact a child or change how he/she is going home, call the office! Students learned before there were cells! It’s time to get back to basics! — Cindy Christiansen
Other states (South Carolina) already have a no-cellphone state law in place for schools. They should research how that’s going in those states and what discipline and follow-through looks like for those who don’t follow the law. — Amber Radford
Students should be focused on learning. If parents need them urgently, they can call the school office and have staff contact their children. — Nabeela Jeanne Black Swartz
This shouldn’t cost the taxpayers a dime. — Sharon Lee Ponsell
I am 72. And there weren’t cellphones in my time in school. I had to actually concentrate on the teacher and learning. Yes, cellphones are needed for emergencies or contact with parents. But not in the classrooms. There is too much temptation to contact or text friends and to play games. So, maybe turn them off when entering classrooms. But don’t take them away. — Denise Bella
No, I don’t agree. If something happens at school, I want my child to be able to call me or to call 911. The phone needs to stay in the book bag and be taken out only in an emergency. If a student is on the phone during class, then you deal with that individual. — Bobbi Costello
Why does anyone need a phone in school? We did just fine without them, perhaps better off without them. If there is an emergency, parents can call the school. It worked well in the past. And that school with security pouches for phones was about the dumbest thing I have seen. — Bob Hice
Cellphones should not be allowed. — Willie Preacher
As a high school teacher and a mom, I like the idea of cellphones being prohibited during instructional times but also accessible in the case of emergencies. The Caesar Rodney School District has a great cellphone policy that it just started this year. Students aren’t allowed to use their cellphones during instructional times, but they can use them in the hallways during transition times. They are disciplined by teachers and deans if cellphones are being used during class. They lose cellphone privileges, get detention, suspended, etc., depending on the number of offenses. I absolutely love that the Caesar Rodney High School admin team is following through on it all. The only issue with the policy is getting all staff to comply. The ones who still allow students to use them make it difficult for the teachers who are actually following the policy. — Netta Charles
I cannot think of a single legitimate reason for a minor student to have a cellphone in the classroom. In the event of any emergency, the teacher is supposed to be the one in charge. By letting the students keep their phones, are we removing that authority from the teachers? — Ellen Hart Richardson
As someone who was in school in Delaware during 2020, before graduating, I feel phones are actually important in class when used correctly. For example, phones are great when used for research purposes. Before we were forced to have laptops, teachers would tell us to search for stuff online. Also, with the amount of emergencies going on now (gun violence, fights, etc.), phones have been the way students have called police and their parents when something happened because the teachers were the ones doing the protecting. — Danielle Luciano
Some students will need them for medical or educational purposes. And they should only be allowed to use them for those purposes. There should be something in place (a tag or a lanyard) to state that the student is allowed to have his/her phone for those reasons. And the tag should be school-issued with the student’s name and whether it’s for medical or educational use (no other details and that can be determined by colors that staff will know). My child, for one, has a medical device that is activated and controlled by a cellphone. — Amanda Lewis
I believe it should be a school decision. Give the authority back to the school, not politicians. — Taylor Henry Morris
Honestly, I don’t see what the big deal is one way or the other because, for one, schools are not teaching kids anything that won’t be on the standardized test at the end of the school year. Secondly, there is so much tech right now, compared to five, 10, 20-plus years ago. I am surprised that we are bringing up simple cellphones, when laptops, desktops, tablets and other things exist. — Kyle Hendrix
I believe Caesar Rodney already has restrictions on phones in schools. Others may, also. Why do we need to even have a law like this? If the majority of residents want to ban phones, and their school boards don’t do anything, then elect others to the boards who agree with you. If the majority of people think phones should be allowed, and you don’t agree, then move. Sometimes, things can be resolved without a state law being passed. — Kevin McCarthy
