School districts are set to act on smartphone bans. That's good. But failing to define what problem they hope to address means smartphone bans could fail before they're ever implemented.
I think the teachers are doing the best they can in these challenging times. I don't think these bans are the answer. Let the teachers teach without restricting them. That means letting them speak the hard truths about slavery, nazism, etc. As a parent, I'm not qualified to teach. Parents have no business dictating curriculums in schools. If you want to do that, put your kids in private school or homeschool. There's so much to learn that has been cut from schools. A cell phone ban isn't the fix to improve test scores. Maybe start with letting teachers teach!
It’s a band aid. But it’s all the schools can do because not enough people outside of the classroom are willing to work and demand better learning conditions.
Teachers can’t speak out in Virginia and, definitely around here, people continue to vote in candidates who want to tear down the education system. “Let teachers teach” is what plenty of people have been saying for 40 years, but too many people vote against allowing them to do so.
Not getting to the roots of the issues we are seeing in schools isn’t helping public education, our kids, our educators, or society at large.
Hot take, Boomer. I wish I had the time or inclination to disabuse you of the premises of most of your arguments but I'll just leave you with this: The obvious solution, at a state and/or federal level, is to develop curricula that educates students on the dangers of the internet: How to spot & avoid scammers, bullies, those who mean you harm. How social media companies' algorithms are purpose-built to addict you to their content. Just how addictive and societally caustic social media has become. How to spot disinformation. Ad nauseum.
Until something like that has been developed & disseminated, every school board should listen to their teachers to do everything in their power to limit cell phone use in classrooms. I don't 100% agree with the way that FCPS has chosen to handle it, but it's a lot better than your platitudes.
Like clear back packs, this is a band aid to a much larger problem that requires people outside of the classroom to work to fix.
Something they are too lazy and scared to do.
I think the teachers are doing the best they can in these challenging times. I don't think these bans are the answer. Let the teachers teach without restricting them. That means letting them speak the hard truths about slavery, nazism, etc. As a parent, I'm not qualified to teach. Parents have no business dictating curriculums in schools. If you want to do that, put your kids in private school or homeschool. There's so much to learn that has been cut from schools. A cell phone ban isn't the fix to improve test scores. Maybe start with letting teachers teach!
It’s a band aid. But it’s all the schools can do because not enough people outside of the classroom are willing to work and demand better learning conditions.
Teachers can’t speak out in Virginia and, definitely around here, people continue to vote in candidates who want to tear down the education system. “Let teachers teach” is what plenty of people have been saying for 40 years, but too many people vote against allowing them to do so.
Not getting to the roots of the issues we are seeing in schools isn’t helping public education, our kids, our educators, or society at large.
Hot take, Boomer. I wish I had the time or inclination to disabuse you of the premises of most of your arguments but I'll just leave you with this: The obvious solution, at a state and/or federal level, is to develop curricula that educates students on the dangers of the internet: How to spot & avoid scammers, bullies, those who mean you harm. How social media companies' algorithms are purpose-built to addict you to their content. Just how addictive and societally caustic social media has become. How to spot disinformation. Ad nauseum.
Until something like that has been developed & disseminated, every school board should listen to their teachers to do everything in their power to limit cell phone use in classrooms. I don't 100% agree with the way that FCPS has chosen to handle it, but it's a lot better than your platitudes.
🙄🙄