School Cell Phone Rules
 

Can anyone tell me what the cell phone rules are in local secondary schools? Does anyone's school have a rule that states that the school can keep a phone that's been taken up until the end of the year? (Is that even legal?)

Regarding cellphones...the rules that I can remember from HS were pretty much that cellphones were not allowed. If a student HAD to carry a cellphone, then it must be kept off or on silent. The cellphone had to be kept in a locker or somewhere far so it wouldn't distract the student.

If the teacher catches you with a cell phone they can confiscate it. It really is up to the teacher, they can give it back to you at the end of the class period, day, or they can turn it into the office. If it is turned into the office then they will call the parents let them know that the cellphone is confiscated and that they can pick it up or the student will get it back at the end of the semester.

I'm not sure of the legality, but it probably is since it hasn't been fought yet.

That's what the rules were like when I was in junior & high school... but in my corner of the world, cell phones weren't wildly popular yet at that age... now kids carry cell phones as young as 5 (no kidding ...) with texting and cameras embedded in most all phones now I would imagine the rules have gotten even more strict because they can be distractions and/or ways to cheat during exams.

Back when I was in school, if you dropped your quarter for the pay phone and interrupted the teacher, MAN were you in trouble...

Where's my walker?

There was ONE payphone in my high school. It was in the school lobby, which in and of itself was off-limits during classes. So between 7:40 and 1:50 (GASP!) the only way to reach you was to call the main office, at which point you were paged over the PA system. And it better be an emergency!

Personally, as a teacher, I abhor cell phones in the classroom. We have signs posted throughout hallways asking that they be turned off, but then class is interrupted by the chiming of students text messaging each other.
Our school allows for phones to be confiscated by the teacher if they are out or on during class, but then we've been directed to take them immediatley up to the office and turn them in to an administrator. That way we aren't held liable if anything happens to the phone. The parent is then allowed to come pick the phone up from the administrator. If the problem becomes chronic, the student may be suspended for persistant insubordination and failure to follow district rules regarding electronic devices.

My kids are both in middle school and the rule is "No Cell Phones". They can have them in backpacks, lockers, purses, etc., but if they are seen they are confiscated.
1st Offense: Student can pick it up at the end of the day
2nd Offense: Parent must come in to pick it up
3rd Offense: School keeps it til the end of the year

In grammar school (k-8) we confiscated, gave detention, and the parent had to come pick it up. In high school, we simply wrote a discipline report. By the end of the day, the child was suspended for a min of 2 days. It went up with each offense.

This is also the rule at the school where I teach.

In Cleveland, OH High Schools, they had a no cell phone policy, but they recently changed it because of the school shooting that occurred. Now kids can keep cell phones on them, but they must be turned off unless there is an emergency.

As for keeping the phone for an entire year, that sounds fairly harsh for a first offense. Can you get it back sooner if the parent goes in to the office?

When I was a sub in a HS the students and their parents all signed a booklet on the first day of school with the school rules. This rule was in there (along with the no fighting, no saggy pants, etc) so they couldn't use the excuse " I didn't know the rule". That was before the school shooting at VA so maybe they have relaxed the rule now. I've heard in colleges the kids text each other and cheat on tests so I can see why teachers don't want them.

no, teacher's can't legally keep anything untill the end of the year. Sometimes parents let them, but parents can get the stuff back, especially for something like a cell phone.

Most schools around here are stupid and won't let any phones on campus. I agree that they should be off in class, but they could be usefull if something bad happens. Plus, there are pay phones in the hallway for inbetween class, I don't get why a cell phone would be different.

The problem with cell phones are that you can 1) take a picture of your test and instantly send it to a friend who has the class later in the day, 2) text message answers back and forth all day long or look things up on the internet during an exam and 3) the distraction factor alone in a classroom setting. I feel badly for the poor teacher who is trying to lecture and they can see all these kids texting.

Honestly, while it seems harsh to say they'd keep it til the end of the year, there's really no reason for a kid to have it out anyway. If the kid follows the rules, no problem. My kid would be in big trouble if they even got to a second offense on this one. I didn't get them cell phones to goof off with them in school!

While they shouldn't have cellphones in school for the reasons Dee mentioned, I would have a REAL issue with the school keeping it till the end of the year. I'm assuming some of these phones have prepaid plans that you can't turn off, and I'd be irate if my money for the phone service was being wasted while it sat in a school office somewhere.

Please keep in mind that I'm relatively new to cell phone billing and such, but this isn't like keeping Johnny's slingshot for the year.

I agree with you about that part and I'm sure I'd be furious.. I'm just not sure if I'd be more furious with my kid or the school. I think I'd be more ticked with the kid for not keeping the dang thing in their pocket/backpack or purse on THREE separate occasions. I think I would take their phone away from them after I had to pick it up from the office myself.