DO NEW RULES MEAN BETTER SCHOOL?

COLLECTION OF PHONES; PHOTO BY KALLI YORK

Current Policies

CCA has gone through a plethora of changes in the last few years, but before we hear about those, we need to look at our current rules. After requesting the student handbook, I was told it would not be available until mid to late September, as the school board needed to approve it. This was surprising to hear, considering by this time school will have been in session for just under a month. Based on my knowledge of the rules and other districts’ rules and regulations, phones are only allowed during passing periods and lunch. Occasionally, they may be used for research purposes or, if given direct permission from a teacher, they may be used. If the device is seen during class, it may be confiscated by staff.

Why the New Policies?

There has been quite a bit of debate over phones, specifically in Iowa, to the point where we are currently expecting new regulations from the state. So why are we changing things? A news article from Press-Citizen.com discussing new policies in the Iowa City district mentions social psychologist Jonathan Haidt's book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. In Haidt’s book, he talks about how the introduction of cell phones and other electronics has wiped out the play-based part of our childhoods. He goes on to say, "This great rewiring of childhood has interfered with children's social and neurological development, covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism" (Jonathan Haidt).

New Policies

Although no official policies from the state or Clear Creek Amana High School have been published or shared, many are speculating that phones will be banned from school altogether. Students will either leave their devices at home, or the schools will implement some sort of cubby or specific space for all of the students' phones. Some schools have already adopted similar regulations, such as Elizabeth Tate High. According to their student handbook, students are allowed to have their phones with them, but if they are seen, heard, or in use at all, they are expected to be placed in electronic lockers provided by the school. They can be picked up at the end of the school day by the student. Students who refuse to put away their phones will have a guardian called and will be sent home for the remainder of the day.

CCA’s Priorities

Earlier this year, a presentation was made by Superintendent Corey Seymour concerning the new potential phone policies. The presentation mentioned the CCA Mission Statement: "The mission of the Clear Creek Amana Community School District is to prepare students to be productive, responsible, community members by providing an environment that brings learning to life." The rest of the presentation referred heavily back to the success of the students being the main priority. The proposed policies essentially include no phones during school hours. All phones must be turned off and put away during set school hours. The only exceptions to this include “IEP, 504, health plan, and other assistive technology.” An IEP, or Individualized Educational Plan, is a program that ensures a child who has a disability, as defined by law, can receive specialized instruction or related services. 

A 504 plan is similar in that it prevents schools from discriminating against children because of a disability. A health plan is fairly self-explanatory, as it allows students to use a device if not having it would endanger their physical health. For example, a student who suffers from diabetes might need a device to track their blood sugar. This presentation made it very clear that the district is focused on the safety and development of every student.

Student Opinions

While the school has shown that student development is the priority, students themselves don’t feel quite the same. Junior Krissa Laidlaw and freshman Gabe Bernard were interviewed about the new and current rules. While Gabe said the current rules are fine, Krissa felt that the current rules weren’t effective and suggested that teachers could try to come up with new and engaging activities to help keep students off their phones. Both students agreed that the potentially new rules would be more of a problem than a solution, stating, “Restrictions only make students more likely to hide it and find ways around using their phones.” Sneaking phones in class has been a prominent issue for quite some time. One solution to this has been instructing students to leave their phone on their desk or in another specific spot when going to the bathroom or putting them in some sort of phone holder during class. When asked what changes are actually necessary for the phone policy, one student thought that the rules should stay the same, adding, “If their grades suffer from it, that’s their fault.” Another student said, “I believe that instead of making restrictions, teachers and administrators should work more on bonding with students and figuring out what works best for them to stay off their phones. That would be more effective.” This solution would further strengthen the school's mission statement of prioritizing students' education.