Lets be honest about why NYC schools and so many schools throughout the country ban cell phones in school.
We all know the reasons they give. First on the list, kids will cheat on tests. I can't help but think it might be a little easier to spot someone texting or taking a picture compared to looking at the smart kids paper that is sitting next to you, having a cheat sheet or any number of ways that kids that are going to cheat have cheated since the conception of tests in school. To say a cell phone is some new and unstopable secret weapon in the arsenal of school children that will make them cheat on tests is not really an argument at all.
The next big argument against cell phones in school is that they are disruptive. I would say, so is drawing in class or reading comic books or perhaps chewing gum. All the above you are allowed to have in most schools, you just aren't allowed to use them when it is not appropriate. I have nothing against schools saying students must have their cell phones powered off and out of sight. This only makes sense or else it could be disruptive.
To say teachers can't or shouldn't have to deal with making sure they don't use them is a just silly! Teachers make sure kids don't break rules and act appropriate in class every day, in fact this is a big part of their job. I know this because every year I get a huge list of rules my child is expected to adhere to. Nowadays the children have to sign a paper that has that particular teachers rules on it. So lets be realistic how hard is it to say you can bring a phone to school but keep it out of sight and powered off or it will be taken away.
Now that we have looked at the two big reasons that are given to keep cell phones out of school lets look at a few reasons children should be able to bring their cell phones to school.
The first reason all the news outlets give is that what if there is another Columbine situation. Ok, I agree if that was to happen cell phones in the chilldren's hands could be useful. Lets look at the odds of that though. You are more likely to get hit by lightning. The real reasons parents want their kids to have a phone are many and valid.
In this day and age often as not there is a home with both parents working or just one parent. They want to know if their child is on the bus or train. They want to know if they miss a connection and get lost they can call. They want to know that when their child is walking through a bad area they can call if there is a problem. They want to be able to remind their 13 year old he or she is going to dads today because mom has to work late and don't forget to take your medicine.
As family life has changed, and it has with both moms and dads working somtimes two jobs and often times in two households cell phones may be the only way to keep communication flowing. To keep children from taking cell phones to school can be a huge burden and can cause unnecessary stress and hardship to a family.
Now lets look at the real reason people such as Mayor Bloomberg don't want cell phones in school. One word says it all "YouTube". Now that every other 13 year old has posted videos on YouTube we are seeing both embarrassing and actionable if not illegal videos of teachers and bus drivers. Not only does this look bad to the school system it is a lawsuit in drag. Look at all the police videos popping up. One off the top of my head had a police officer arresting a man he said attacked him when the video that was taken showed the man on the bike did nothing to provoke the police officer attacking him. If it was not for that video, I dare say the man on the bike would still be in jail. Well, the same thing is happening with school phone videos. Just type in crazy bus driver or crazy teacher and see what videos pop up. Trying to hide our school problems and protect ourselves against law suits is not a reason to make parents worry if their children are making it home ok or if they made it to their after school job or activity safely. It is not a good enough reason for 11 year old Little Jimmy who misses his subway stop and ends up in NYC lost and without help because he doesn't have a phone. Making matters worse Little Jimmy can't find a payphone because there aren't that many around anymore and half the ones that are don't work.
So lets be honest, this is about the city protecting itself from bad publicity and law suits by wrapping the issue up in the stereotype of public school children cheating on tests and running a drug syndicate at the corner of the hallway as the meek and scared teachers run from class to class in hopes of not being bullied by the cellphone toting thugs we call american youth. In other words "to hell with little Jimmy and his parents"!
