Posted on 05/07/2005 7:54:12 AM PDT by Teflonic
The Muscogee County School Board will discuss on Monday changing its cell phone policy.
Friday's addition to the work session agenda was prompted by this week's brouhaha about a Spencer High student being suspended for disorderly conduct after a teacher caught him using his cell phone during school hours without permission, which the policy prohibits. The student was talking with his mother, who is serving in Iraq with Fort Benning's 3rd Brigade.
The Ledger-Enquirer asked board members Friday their opinions about the issue.
Was the situation handled correctly?
"We have a policy that they follow the policy; however, sometimes we have to use discretion in a situation like that. Unfortunately, there seems to have been a lack of communication. It probably would have been better if the child had notified the school that he was expecting a call from his mom. They can't call whenever they want to. Some communication should have been done there." -- Pat Hugley Green, District 1
"It probably was appropriate, but it's very unfortunate it had to escalate to that. People in charge should take the time to find out exactly what's going on. They're trained to be in the position they're in and to deal with children, and sometimes things are cut and dry. Some things need to be responded to with more tolerance." -- John Wells, District 2
"I haven't talked to anyone over at Spencer, and I don't know any of the background on the student, but we sometimes have to use common sense. Sometimes children overreact to certain situations. But sometimes people are provoked, although I'm not sure if that was the case. And sometimes a child has persistent behavior problems and they may have assumed that he was using the phone inappropriately." -- Naomi Buckner, District 4
"The answer is I don't know, because the truth is, I don't really know the details of it... . But based on what I've heard, I would question the judgment in the way it was handled." -- Fife Whiteside, District 5
"I don't know what the situation truly was... . There was a correct way for it all to be handled. Two wrongs don't make a right, so if he then became disrespectful and belligerent, that's a whole separate issue. That warrants the punishment." -- Brenda Storey,District 6
"I want to wait on all the facts, but I have concerns about the special circumstances. This young man's mother is serving our country. That ought to be considered. I know we have policies that must be followed, but we also need to use good judgment." -- Joseph Roberson,District 7
Would you support a policy allowing students to get cell phone calls from deployed parents or guardians during school hours?
"The student should be paged and brought to the office to take the call. Otherwise, someone would have to monitor the cell phone to verify it was the parent in Iraq on the line. We should welcome such calls to the school office." -- Mary Sue Polleys, county-wide, son deployed in Iraq
"I certainly would, but I think that we need to handle that properly. He can't just answer the phone in the middle of class. If he was expecting that call around lunchtime, then the principal needed to have known that... . With all of the daily insurgency going on over there (in Iraq), I don't think anyone wants to pass a moment by to speak to a loved one." -- Pat Hugley Green, District 1
"We don't need a policy. That's already in effect at Spencer. They already let students take a call, as long as they just tell them beforehand. We've got to do everything we can to support our troops, so Spencer is doing the right thing already... . They can do that at other schools, too." -- John Wells, District 2
"Sure. We have to look at that policy. To me, it's common sense for principals to allow that anyway." -- Naomi Buckner, District 4
"I don't know that I would support a policy that allows the student to take a cell phone call... . But what would seem to me to be reasonable would be for us to adopt a policy that the parent can call the school at any time and ask to have the child taken out of class to take the phone call." -- Fife Whiteside, District 5
"Not in the classroom. I think even deployed parents have to be respectful of the educational process. But if the school is aware of it, and they know the parent isn't going to call during class, then that's fine." -- Brenda Storey,District 6
"Yes, I would -- if it did not interfere with class, and if it was manageable. Again, these are special circumstances." -- Joseph Roberson,District 7
Thank you for putting a face to the teacher. I for one appreciate it.
And if the student had had his cell phone turned off as the rules require, none of this would have happened.
His Mom can get a chance to call him about once a month and it was always late at night in the past.
So, as the student said, he was not expecting a call from his mom, and that wasn't why he had his phone on.
For the first time she called her son at school during the day, she has little control over when she has a chance to call.
I've wondered why she called at that time, knowing he would be in school. The mother is a First Sargeant, she knows about rules and discipline. I don't think the phones are as limited in most parts of Iraq as you'd expect.
If the teacher had backed off and let him complete his call they could have settled it afterwards and we would not be reading about this.
I've read one account that said the teacher told the student to hang up & give her the phone, and the student told the teacher it was his mom in Iraq and he wasn't hanging up. I've seen another that said the student admitted he didn't tell the teacher he was talking to his deployed mother. I don't know which is true.
Either way, it was apparently the profanity and out of control behavior that got the student suspended, and if he'd followed the rules in the first place, none of it would have happened.
You're much slimmer, more attractive, and better dressed than Felicita, right?
Your post is the most sensible thing I've read today...
Aren't you clever? How about posting your picture so we can all see how you measure up?
Being 17, the young man should just say "adios" to the school permanently by dropping out and getting his GED. Frankly, I'd be willing to send him the money for the test if I knew where to send it.
I wouldn't give a rip about the woman's weight if she weren't a power hungry troll who likes to throw it around.
Go sit on a tack. This kid only hears from his mom once a month and has no control over when she can call. The teacher just forced him off the phone without letting him explain.
His reaction was understandable.
At most, detention should only be expected.
Go sit on a tack. This kid only hears from his mom once a month and has no control over when she can call. The teacher just forced him off the phone without letting him explain.
His reaction was understandable.
At most, detention should only be expected.
I Like Lincoln, you are new and have shown in previous threads that you are a liberal. Unless you want once again to be accused of being a troll you should limit your responses to constructive criticism rather than just mindless comments.
Rams, even in the principal's office, they would not let him take the call when she CALLED BACK and they know very clear what the situation was and, according to their statement, were sympathetic and trying to work a way for her to be able to call him at school.
It doesn't seem like they were trying to work out a way if they wouldn't let him even take the SECOND call.
I just said I agree with what she said.
Look, this is a difficult situation obviously. The kid's mom is a hero, I will not dispute that, and I don't blame the kid for doing what he did, but rules are rules, no? It's like the legal system. Sometimes the laws mean less than ideal results, but it's better than having no laws at all.
Well then the rules in this case need to be changed and the school employees should be made to understand that their rules are guidelines which need to be moderated with common sense.
Too many educators seem to forget that their "product" is to produce successful well rounded students, not to enforce faculty bs.
You don't know that. The woman was doing her job, enforcing school rules, which she probably had no part in creating.
felicita_pescia@gaggle.net
Do you think "Go sit on a tack" is civil discourse or a good debating tactic?
If the kid had been following the rules and had his phone turned off, this wouldn't have happened.
I agree that common sense should override all application of rules whenever possible. I'm sure that the teacher will think twice now before she puts down the iron fist.
I can understand the initial reaction however to a cellphone going off in the classroom, w/o knowning who was on the other end.
The cell phone rang when the student was at lunch and he then stepped outside to get better reception.
"The student should be paged and brought to the office to take the call. Otherwise, someone would have to monitor the cell phone to verify it was the parent in Iraq on the line. We should welcome such calls to the school office." -- Mary Sue Polleys, county-wide, son deployed in Iraq
This seems reasonable to me. Hopefully it will be adopted.
I think I agree. No one should ever violate the orders of an authority figure. If the Rev. Jim Jones says to drink the Kool-Aid, then by God, you should drink the Kool-Aid. If you disagree with the request, you should drink the Kool-Aid first, then discuss it with your parents later when they come to visit.
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