by Marielbis Rojas
The Broward County School Board on Tuesday unanimously voted to restrict students’ use of cellphones in an effort to keep them focused and off social media during school hours.
Although the school district said restrictions on cell phone use were already part of the Student Code of Conduct, there will now be some changes that will go into effect when classes start on August 12.
The board approved changes in some areas. For example, instead of putting the phone on silent, it must now be on airplane mode. It must also remain on silent from the start of the school day to the end, instead of being allowed to be used during lunch and between classes.
The new rules will be enforced unless teachers tell their students otherwise. The new measure also completely prohibits the use of headphones, including AirPods.
“It’s about telling students that we care deeply about them and we don’t want them to be using these harmful devices with these addictive tools that are causing them mental health issues,” said school board member Dr. Allen Zemen.
Board members said cellphones have proven a major distraction for students, who will have access to their devices if there is an emergency.
“This is a bold decision. We need to be careful about how we train principals and teachers to deal with this problem,” Zemen warned.
School board Vice President Debbi Hixon said she supports the new policy as a compromise, rather than banning the devices altogether.
Hixon’s husband, Chris, was one of the victims of the February 14, 2018, mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, in the Miami metropolitan area.
“In my case, when Chris didn’t answer the phone, I knew immediately that something was wrong,” she said. “As a person who has been affected, I understand the need to be able to rely on that in an emergency situation. But I do understand, as a teacher, how disruptive cell phones are.”
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Marielbis Rojas is a Venezuelan journalist and communications professional, with a degree in Social Communication from UCAB. She is a news reporter for ADN América.
