4 ms·

I'm a little surprised this is newsworthy... this is already the policy at my kid's middle school (NC public schools.) Is it that uncommon? I get that it's pro

by lukev 3y ago

I'm a little surprised this is newsworthy... this is already the policy at my kid's middle school (NC public schools.) Is it that uncommon? I get that it's probably harder to enforce into the upper grades...

HDThoreaun 3y ago
Most schools allow phones outside of class time. This policy bans phones on school grounds altogether
huytersd 3y ago
Just have a jammer on school premises and use mac auth for the wifi in addition to the the metal detectors at the entrance.
- doublemint2203 3y ago
  teachers/faculty?
  - kgwxd 3y ago
    Laws?
- easton 3y ago
  The jammer will get you a visit from the friendly people at the FCC. Much easier to just make your school have some thick walls that prevent cell signals :)
  - grogenaut 3y ago
    you don't need thick, just wrap the school in chicken wire like old houses.
  - postalrat 3y ago
    If schools want jammers the FCC will make an exception and guidelines.
- gnicholas 3y ago
  Even if fac/staff had a way around this, it would wreak havoc on parents and other visitors. I can't volunteer at my kid's school if it means I would be unreachable by my other kid's school. Or my spouse/doctor/etc.
  - morelisp 3y ago
    I’m not really disagreeing, but - that was absolutely normal and near-universal just 15 years ago.
    - gnicholas 3y ago
      Yes, people had different ways of dealing with things in the past, but things are different now. I recall seeing a comment on HN last week that said the commenter ignored a call assuming it was spam, and was only alerted to the fact that his kid was in the hospital when someone from the school showed up at his door. People assume they can reach you by phone these days, especially if you're the parent of young-ish children.
      - simoncion 3y ago
        > People assume they can reach you by phone these days, especially if you're the parent of young-ish children. Sure. But in this story the school fell back to the "old-fashioned" way and sent someone along to the guy's house. It seems clear that the guy got along just fine without being reachable via telephone.
        gnicholas 3y ago
        IIRC the commenter regretted not being reachable by phone, and was cautioning others not to ignore calls that look like spam! But hey, if you think a school will go for cell phone blockers, be sure to try to convince one and let us know how it goes!
        simoncion 3y ago
- triceratops 3y ago
  Sounds illegal.
  - Manuel_D 3y ago
    Very. Jammers would also block emergency calls, which is pretty serious. Imagine the lawsuit when a kid has, say, a diabetic episode and the 911 call was blocked by a teacher's jammer.
gnicholas 3y ago
Same here. Our public school here in Menlo Park doesn't allow smartphones to be used at school, and I think even Apple Watches are technically prohibited.
technothrasher 3y ago
According to my high school junior, it's laughably impossible to enforce. They have to put their phones in the "phone hotel" at the beginning of the day and can only retrieve them at the end. Ok, so any kid who cares just brings an old phone to drop in the phone hotel and keeps their real phone with them. My son says he doesn't even bother with that trick, as anything he might want to do with his phone during the day (which is mostly either message friends or scroll social media) he can do with the computer he is required to have in class.
Flameancer 3y ago
What district and how enforced is it? My mother is a teacher in CMS and while it’s a policy there it’s hardly ever enforced….mianly due to parents. When I grew up in NC (private school) you weren’t allowed to have phones in the class either and if caught you either had to give to the teacher or be sent to the principals office if you refused to comply. If you still didn’t comply you got suspended. Most would just give to the teacher if you got caught. Meanwhile I would bring my PSP to school and just leave it in my locker as it was the perfect MP3 device to walk home from school with, or use it for football/track game days.

by lukev 3y ago

HDThoreaun 3y ago

Most schools allow phones outside of class time. This policy bans phones on school grounds altogether

huytersd 3y ago

Just have a jammer on school premises and use mac auth for the wifi in addition to the the metal detectors at the entrance.

doublemint2203 3y ago
teachers/faculty?
- kgwxd 3y ago
  Laws?
easton 3y ago
The jammer will get you a visit from the friendly people at the FCC. Much easier to just make your school have some thick walls that prevent cell signals :)
- grogenaut 3y ago
  you don't need thick, just wrap the school in chicken wire like old houses.
- postalrat 3y ago
  If schools want jammers the FCC will make an exception and guidelines.
gnicholas 3y ago
Even if fac/staff had a way around this, it would wreak havoc on parents and other visitors. I can't volunteer at my kid's school if it means I would be unreachable by my other kid's school. Or my spouse/doctor/etc.
- morelisp 3y ago
  I’m not really disagreeing, but - that was absolutely normal and near-universal just 15 years ago.
  - gnicholas 3y ago
    Yes, people had different ways of dealing with things in the past, but things are different now. I recall seeing a comment on HN last week that said the commenter ignored a call assuming it was spam, and was only alerted to the fact that his kid was in the hospital when someone from the school showed up at his door. People assume they can reach you by phone these days, especially if you're the parent of young-ish children.
    - simoncion 3y ago
      > People assume they can reach you by phone these days, especially if you're the parent of young-ish children. Sure. But in this story the school fell back to the "old-fashioned" way and sent someone along to the guy's house. It seems clear that the guy got along just fine without being reachable via telephone.
      - gnicholas 3y ago
        IIRC the commenter regretted not being reachable by phone, and was cautioning others not to ignore calls that look like spam! But hey, if you think a school will go for cell phone blockers, be sure to try to convince one and let us know how it goes!
        simoncion 3y ago
triceratops 3y ago
Sounds illegal.
- Manuel_D 3y ago
  Very. Jammers would also block emergency calls, which is pretty serious. Imagine the lawsuit when a kid has, say, a diabetic episode and the 911 call was blocked by a teacher's jammer.

gnicholas 3y ago

Same here. Our public school here in Menlo Park doesn't allow smartphones to be used at school, and I think even Apple Watches are technically prohibited.

technothrasher 3y ago

According to my high school junior, it's laughably impossible to enforce. They have to put their phones in the "phone hotel" at the beginning of the day and can only retrieve them at the end. Ok, so any kid who cares just brings an old phone to drop in the phone hotel and keeps their real phone with them. My son says he doesn't even bother with that trick, as anything he might want to do with his phone during the day (which is mostly either message friends or scroll social media) he can do with the computer he is required to have in class.

Flameancer 3y ago

What district and how enforced is it? My mother is a teacher in CMS and while it’s a policy there it’s hardly ever enforced….mianly due to parents. When I grew up in NC (private school) you weren’t allowed to have phones in the class either and if caught you either had to give to the teacher or be sent to the principals office if you refused to comply. If you still didn’t comply you got suspended. Most would just give to the teacher if you got caught. Meanwhile I would bring my PSP to school and just leave it in my locker as it was the perfect MP3 device to walk home from school with, or use it for football/track game days.