High school students are petitioning against schools in several states across the U.S. as cellphone bans come into effect. Thousands in Florida, Louisiana and Nevada have signed such petitions, stating that they want access to their cellphones during school hours.
Broward County Schools in Miami, Florida, recently implemented new restrictions for student cellphone use. The new restrictions require students to store their phones throughout the day, including lunch hour, in airplane mode. Headphones are also barred from being worn by students during school hours.
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Over 18,000 students and parents have already signed a petition in which they ask for a meeting to discuss these new regulations and explore adjustments to the policy.
Elsewhere, one student started a petition aimed at pushing schools to impart guidelines on responsible cellphone use, rather than outright bans. Kaytlin Villescas at Prairieville High School in Louisiana says she and her peers should be allowed access to their devices, which she argues are not just for communication, but are valuable tools in academic pursuits.
This petition has already garnered over 10,000 signatures, and Villescas says she also brought her concerns to Gov. Jeff Landry, R-La., who has not yet replied. With the lack of a response, Villescas said she will not be removing the petition until some change for the students occurs.
A third set of students have also joined with a similar petition in Las Vegas, Nevada. More than 25,000 people have signed a petition there as the Clark County School District requires students in grades 6-12 to put their phones in signal-blocking pouches when they arrive at school each day.
The pouches keep a phone signal from reaching the device, and students will be instructed on where to keep their pouches, potentially on the student’s desk or a designated area within a classroom. The pouch will not lock, and keep devices accessible in case of an emergency.
The district said the effort “is to ensure a distraction-free and safe learning environment.” Devices such as laptops, cellphones, and tablets are still permitted for use during lunch periods, school activities, bus transportation and classroom periods with the approval of the school principal.
The petition in Nevada says the Clark County School Board should focus its attention on “more important issues,” such as beefing up funding for school lunches, teachers’ salaries and security for bullying and harassment.
So far, none of the schools have changed their policies due to the signed petitions.
Lauren Taylor
STUDENTS ARE HEADING BACK TO SCHOOL –
AND SOME ARE FIGHTING BACK AGAINST CELL PHONE BANS SET TO GO INTO EFFECT FOR THEIR DISTRICTS.
THOUSANDS HAVE SIGNED PETITIONS IN FLORIDA, LOUISIANA, AND NEVADA DECLARING THEY WANT ACCESS TO THEIR CELL PHONES DURING SCHOOL HOURS.
BROWARD COUNTY SCHOOLS IN MIAMI, FLORIDA IMPLEMENTED NEW RESTRICTIONS FOR STUDENT CELL PHONE USE.
THE SCHOOL BOARD REQUIRING STUDENTS TO STORE THEIR PHONES IN AIRPLANE MODE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, INCLUDING THE LUNCH HOUR.
STUDENTS IN BROWARD COUNTY WILL ALSO BE BARRED FROM WEARING HEADPHONES DURING SCHOOL HOURS.
THE RESTRICTIONS GO INTO EFFECT MONDAY – HOWEVER, MORE THAN 18-THOUSAND STUDENTS AND PARENTS HAVE SIGNED A PETITION TO “REQUEST A MEETING” TO DISCUSS THE REGULATIONS – “AND EXPLORE POTENTIAL ADJUSTMENTS TO THE CURRENT POLICY.”
AND STUDENTS IN MIAMI AREN’T ALONE.
IN PRAIRIEVILLE, LOUISIANA – MORE THAN 11-THOUSAND PEOPLE SIGNED A STUDENT’S PETITION OPPOSING LOUISIANA’S NEW SCHOOL CELL PHONE BAN – AND AT PRAIRIEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL, STUDENTS CAN BE FINED IF THEIR PHONE IS EVEN VISIBLE.
THE YOUNG GIRL BEHIND THE PETITION SAYS HIGH SCHOOLERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO SELF-REGULATE THEIR CELL PHONE USE TIME.
(KAYTLIN VILLESCAS / PETITION CREATOR)
“THE STUDENTS HAVE CAME UP TO ME AND SAID ‘HEY I SAW YOUR PETITION, I SIGNED IT, AND WE HOPE YOU COULD BE A VOICE AND WE COULD GET SOME OF OUR, YOU KNOW, THAT MAKES SCHOOL TOLERABLE FOR US BACK.”
Lauren Taylor:
SHE SAID SHE SENT HER CONCERNS TO LOUISIANA GOVERNOR LANDRY AND HASN’T HEARD BACK.
AND THIS TREND IS HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
STUDENTS IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA ARE ALSO SHARING THEIR CONCERNS – MORE THAN 25-THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED A PETITION THERE – AS THE CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT REQUIRES STUDENTS IN GRADES 6 THROUGH 12 TO PUT THEIR PHONES IN SIGNAL-BLOCKING POUCHES WHEN THEY ARRIVE TO SCHOOL EACH DAY.
THE POUCHES DON’T LOCK BUT DO BLOCK THE CELL PHONE FROM RECEIVING A SIGNAL WHICH THE DISTRICT SAYS “IS TO ENSURE A DISTRACTION-FREE AND SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.”
THE DISTRICT SAYS STUDENTS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR PHONES IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
THE PETITION STATES THE CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD SHOULD FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION ON QUOTE “MORE IMPORTANT ISSUES” SUCH AS BEEFING UP FUNDING FOR SCHOOL LUNCHES AND TEACHERS’ SALARIES AS WELL AS SECURITY FOR BULLYING AND HARASSMENT.
ALL THREE OF THESE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WELCOMED BACK STUDENTS ON MONDAY.
SO FAR – NONE OF THE DISTRICTS HAVE CHANGED THEIR CELL PHONE POLICY BECAUSE OF THE SIGNED PETITIONS.
FOR SAN, I’M LT..
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