Posted on 09/12/2006 4:39:51 AM PDT by ShadowDancer
Students May Be Fined For Ringing Cell Phones
Principal Says School Constantly Confiscating Phones
POSTED: 8:06 am EDT September 11, 2006
DERBY, Conn. -- Cell phones ringing in theaters are annoying enough, but how about in the middle of high school classes?
School officials at Derby High School are considering fines for kids whose phones go off in class.
Teachers are constantly confiscating phones that go off during class, principal Michael Novia said.
Recently he had five confiscated cell phones in a drawer in his office, and they all kept ringing even after they had been taken.
Novia is proposing fines that would start at $3, then go up to $5 for a second offense and $10 for a third. Students would have to pay the fines to retrieve their phones if they are confiscated after going off in class.
The fines would be used to sponsor an after-prom party for students.
"I think it's a fun and practical way to lessen cell phone use," Novia said.
The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education says it isn't aware of any other schools that fine students for using cell phones in class. Most just hand out detentions or suspensions.
The fines still need approval from the full Board of Education and may face opposition from parents who want their students to be able to use their phones during school.
They could try turning them off, that might solve the problem of them ringing after they are taken.
I would think this level of enforcement would be a minimum.
Dunno if that was HISD rules, or Bellaire HS rules, but according the nieces it was enforced.
Here uf the phone goes off it is taken for the parent to pick up. Most of the kids just set them on vibrate.
Students would have to pay the fines to retrieve their phones if they are confiscated after going off in class.
The fines would be used to sponsor an after-prom party for students.
"I think it's a fun and practical way to lessen cell phone use," Novia said.
Seems like a case of twisted logic to me.
ping
A lot of people have their phones set up with a password, so nobody can use them without entering it. I suspect this may apply turning it off too.
They should just confiscate them and not give them back at all. The kids would learn VERY, VERY fast to remember to turn off their cell phones during class.
One of my kid's college profs is really strict about cell phones. If your cell phone rings during class that's 2 points off you're score for the semester. So, if your cell phone rings during class, after 5 rings you'd drop a letter grade. However, he's strict on enforcement, so I don't think it happens more than once to many students.
I have a better idea. Equip each classroom with an anvil, and a 5-lb hand sledgehammer. If a cell phone rings during class time, the teacher will confiscate it, place it on the anvil, and strike it smartly with the hammer.
After a few of these object lessons, students will learn that turning their cell phones off is an excellent way to protect them from this treatment.
How simple!
Taking the battery off works every time.
True. Though I suspect that plenty of public skool teachers would have trouble figuring out how to do that.
Ah, modern problems. It used to be kids passed notes in class. Now I guess they just send text messages to each other. :-)
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The principal thinks a $5 fine is high enough? He obviously isn't serious about stopping the problem.
I believe confiscation is the correct action, but $5 is something most high school kids have on their person every day (lunch money). Maybe he is more interested in finding an innovative fund raiser for the after prom party?
I managed to survive 13 years of school without needing a cell phone, I'm sure today's kids can too.
Third offense: One solid whack with a hammer.
Gotta keep up with technology.
That's a good idea. That would work in a small class, like the ones I was in. It's not hard to turn it off and pick up any missed messages later. Good grief, how did the human race survive BEFORE cell phones anyway. /roll eyes
One of the worst cell phones offenses I ever saw was in church one time. A guy's phone went off, he answered it, then stood up, and while talking on it, walked out of the church from almost halfway up. An NO, he wasn't a doctor or in some emergency related field. THEY know how to be courteous and you don't hear theirs.
The phone or the kid?
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