Students are increasingly distracted by their phones, CPS teachers' union president says

Students are more distracted than ever by their phones, said Noelle Gilzow, president of the teachers' union in Columbia Public Schools.

She described students watching movies on their phones during class and playing video games and even Facetiming with their parents.

The issue was a big topic of discussion at the Columbia Missouri National Education Association's representative assembly on Sept. 26, Gilzow said on Monday. That includes teachers from all grade levels.

The school board and the administration are paying attention, two school board members said.

Even students in advanced placement and dual-credit course are distracted by their phones, which is something she had not experienced before, Gilzow said.

At last week's school board meeting, Gilzow called for a policy to address the problem. She said she had received no response from the board or administration since the meeting.

She said high school students, especially freshmen and sophomores, are the worst offenders. There are reports of phone misuse by middle school students and even some in elementary schools.

Some parents are facilitating the misuse, Gilzow said.

"There's a kind of entitlement" some parents have when communicating with their children she said.

"There are times when they call or Facetime or text even in the middle of class," Gilzow said.

She would like a districtwide policy that prohibits students using phones during class, except when there is an emergency that is a safety threat, she said.

"You need to pick up your sister after class is not an emergency," Gilzow said.

Does she think the district will take any action?

"I'm eternally optimistic," she said.

But such a policy could be seen as taking on the parents, she said.

"Our district is not super-excited about doing that," Gilzow said.

While student behavior overall has improved this school year, students distracted by their phones is worse than ever, Gilzow said.

The issue has not yet been on a policy committee agenda, said school board member Paul Harper, chairman of the board's policy committee.

"I heard her and understand her concern," Harper said of Gilzow.

He called attention to the 10-year-old policy on student use of personal electronic devices.

Under acceptable use, the policy reads: "Possession or use of personal electronic devices during the school day must not in any way disrupt the educational process in the school district, endanger the health or safety of the student or any other person in the district, invade the rights of others at school or involve illegal or prohibited conduct."

Another section restricts use of electronic devices to "appropriate educational purposes only."

"She raised concerns that do concern me," Harper said.

Suzette Waters, president of the Columbia Board of Education, said she can't have a meaningful conversation with her own son at home when he's looking at his phone.

"It seems reasonable that would be translated into classrooms," Waters said.

The Columbia Public Schools administration is making every effort to improve student achievement, Waters aid.

"If we can get students to school and keep them in class and they're not learning because they're on their phones, that's a problem," Waters said.

She declined to endorse Gilzow's specific proposal but said it's a conversation that is taking place.

"The reason kids are in school is to learn," Waters said.

Something needs to happen, Gilzow said.

"If we're being evaluated on how well we engage students, we're not going to compete with Netflix," Gilzow said. "We have to do something. Otherwise, every effort we make is going to fall on deaf ears."

Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on X at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Union president calls for districtwide policy about student phone use