GPS board member proposes cell phone ban

Feb. 19—Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board member Chad Thompson is leading the charge to ban students' use of cell phones on campus.

Thompson in last week's board retreat shared data showing the negative impacts of the devices.

They include that teenagers who spend three hours or more a day on them have a 35% higher risk of suicide compared with those who spend less than an hour a day. Other data show 16-year-olds saw their test scores increased 6.4% after their schools banned cell phones.

"Because of these numbers and because of talking with parents and just in seeing what is going on in our society, I will like to see a ban of cell phones in kids' hands from bell to bell," Thompson said.

"They are not allowed to use them during the school hours. So either they are in a backpack or more ideally they leave them in a homeroom and then they pick them up on the way out of school and that includes lunch periods.

"I think lunch is a primary area where phones are not only getting students in trouble but I think it's affecting students socially and emotionally."

He said on any GPS campus during lunch, students are seen with their cell phones in hand instead of interacting with their peers.

The district's current policy for secondary school students prohibits the use of cell phones during class unless permission is given. Students are to keep their electronic devices in backpacks, purses, pockets, or designated areas during each instructional period.

The policy also allows staff to confiscate the electronic devices from students who violate the policy, including for inappropriate use.

Board President Sheila Rogers Uggetti questioned the district's ability to enforce a ban and be consistent with it.

"How many years have we done that with the dress code?" she said. "A teacher may call a kid out on one thing and the next teacher doesn't say a word."

Jason Martin, assistant superintendent of elementary education, said that students put their phones away when they arrive to school and that parents like the devices for safety when their children walk to and from campus.

According to Marci Taylor, assistant superintendent of secondary education, some junior high campuses don't allow students to have cell phones out during the school day while others do.

And at one high school, teachers use it as a reward: if students give their full attention in class for 45 minutes, they are allowed to use their cell phones for the last five minutes, she said.

With thousands of students, the district doesn't have the manpower to police such a ban, according to Taylor.

Superintendent Dr. Shane McCord added that some teachers incorporate the use of cell phones in their lessons.

"I really honestly don't think we can say no cell phone in school," said board member Jill Humpherys, agreeing that it would be difficult to enforce.

McCord suggested perhaps a messaging campaign to let students and their parents know that cell phone are not allowed out during class and Humpherys said that perhaps it can be incorporated into the school's suicide-prevention videos.

"I don't think it's enough," Thompson said, adding that kids watching a school video or attending an assembly on the issue won't stop the behavior.

"I would really like to see an effort made to come up with a plan by the beginning of the next school year of a way that we can ban cell phones bell to bell," he said.

"And maybe we do go as far as saying they are just not allowed on campus — cell phones and apple watches because we know the harm that not only is befalling your kids socially and emotionally but also academically.

"If it's our job to create the most academically inspiring environment, in my mind, a huge, huge step forward to getting there is prohibiting cell phones. And the fact that we may not have a100% success rate is not a good enough reason to not do something."

He urged his peers "to find a way to effectively ban cell phones bell to bell and smart watches and tablets that are not school-issued by the beginning of next school year."

Rogers Ugetti said she could support an effort like that but she was not in support of banning the electronic devices on campus.

"Once again how do we enforce that?" she said. "And we have to be realistic, too."

McCord anticipated that staff will put something together for the board to review in a policy meeting in two months.

The board also discussed shortening the hour-long lunch period to half an hour as many disciplinary problems occur during that time.

The pros and cons of that proposal are expected to return to the board at the end of the school year, beginning of summer, McCord said.