Quantcast
Tim Hartman

Tim Hartman, Volunteer Coordinator
Tim graduated from Penn State University in 2001 where he majored in Finance and Economics and minored in Art History. Since graduation, he has done business development and marketing work in the information-technology industry. Tim works with leading Fortune 100 companies world-wide on various data exchange projects. He currently lives in New York City where he also works with New York Cares and multiple corporate community outreach groups.

Cell phones in schools

New York, October 13, 2006—As cell phones have become increasingly ubiquitous, the question of whether students should be allowed to bring them to school has become more and more pressing. Media coverage of the issue has largely depicted teachers on one side of the fence, asserting that cell phones do not belong in schools, and the general public on the other side, asserting that cell phones facilitate parent-child communication and are vital during emergencies. A recent TeachersCount “Be Counted” poll, however, has shown that teachers and the general public are largely in agreement on the matter, but that a large contingent in both groups sees it as a gray issue rather a black-and-white one.

In an informal online poll that ran on TeachersCount.org during August and September, 2006, website visitors were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement, “Cell phones should be banned from U.S. public schools.” Overall, 523 people responded, 284 of whom described themselves as educators. Among educators, 55% said they somewhat or strongly agreed that cell phones should be banned in schools; 49% of non-educators said the same. Conversely, 24% of educators and 25% of non-educators said they somewhat or strongly disagreed with the statement. But a great many people were not sure what to think; 22% of educators and 26% of non-educators said they had mixed feelings or were unsure.

The poll allowed for website visitors to comment, and many of them did. Below is a sampling of comments from the poll:

“I strongly agree” (that cell phones should be banned in U.S. public schools)
  • “I believe that schools should be as free as possible of outside influences that distract from the learning and socialization process. If children need to be reached in case of an emergency, the school office should be the point of contact.”
  • “Students are so adept at text messaging that many are sharing test information with others in different periods of the same classes. Teachers do not even realize that this is happening.”
“I somewhat agree” (that cell phones should be banned in U.S. public schools)
  • “Phones should be kept in the locker and used during lunch and after school, just as a person at work would do.”
  • “The cell phone is an extension of an adolescent’s hand these days. Banning cell phones altogether is unrealistic. Students should be required to turn cell phones off while in the classroom, a good habit they'll need to exercise often later in life.”
“I have mixed feelings”
  • “If we lived in a safer world and cell phones were only a recreational item, I'd say kick 'em to the curb. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world and there are kids who have to walk home from school or from a bus stop in some pretty harsh places. Having a cell phone to call for help in those places if something bad happens can be the difference between life and death. It's a hard decision to make to be sure.”
“I somewhat disagree” (that cell phones should be banned in U.S. public schools)
  • “As long as phones are off during class, there really should be no problem.”
“I strongly disagree” (that cell phones should be banned in U.S. public schools)
  • “Cell phones are not going away. Every student has one and they will bring them to school whether they are banned or not. Instead of fighting against cell phones, we should try to think of some ways that we can use them to our advantage.”
  • “We should teach students the appropriate use of them, not ban them. They are a way of life now and kids need to be taught the protocol for use in public places -- perhaps this would eventually do away with the obnoxious adults we now have using them in public places.”