OMG! Wtz th bg del abt fonz n skl?
The big deal about cellphones in school is that they can be as much a distraction as an organizer, as much a tool for misdeeds as for learning, as much a complicator of everyone's life as a crucial communications device.
Consider the case of the Lake Travis High School junior who, according to www.txcn.com, was charged with felony assault on a public servant for squeezing the hand of a teacher who took his cellphone because he wasn’t supposed to have it in class.
Then there's the Georgia middle schooler who checked a text message from his out-of-state dad during football period, had his phone confiscated by a coach, then was expelled for a year because of photos on the phone that school officials said depicted gang activity. His mom said the pics were just of him dancing in the privacy of his home.
She sued. Think officials wish they'd just assessed a fine and moved on?
More school districts in Texas and other states are confiscating phones used during school hours and charging students or parents to retrieve them. Disciplinary action, usually in-house suspension, is also possible.
But an online search of policies indicates that some in other parts of the country are so strict that teachers can confiscate any phone in sight, even if it’s lunchtime and the phone isn’t being used.
To read the complete editorial, visit The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
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