“New” Cell Phone Policy in Anne Arundel Schools: Sounds Good, But Good Luck Enforcing it

So, AA County issues this policy.  Interesting.  Notice the language usage: “students…will be able to use their cell phones less during the school day in the coming year..”

The Policy states:

• Elementary and middle school students must have their phones off or on silent mode and out of sight throughout the school day, including at lunch and in hallways during transitions between classes.
• High school students may use their phones during lunch but must have them off or on silent mode and out of sight at all other times, including in hallways during transitions between classes.
• Students who use cell phones outside of the guidelines will receive progressive discipline, beginning with a warning and moving – if necessary – to the confiscation of their phone and potential other disciplinary measures. Confiscated phones will need to be picked up by a parent or guardian.

See their full article here:

Every school I know of has this policy already.  They have been in existence for about 10-15 years now. They work for about 2 days. Nothing here is new.  Progressive discipline?  What happens when they attempt to confiscate and the student refuses?  Some students will make that their last stand. It is the hill they will die on.  Administrators will need to decide quickly if they will take a stand.  In most cases they will not.  Especially if the student has an IEP.

“Other disciplinary measures? What does that mean, suspension?

Middle school kids “must” have their phones off (or silent) and out of sight including lunch and transitions?   WOW! Middle school kids with no phones at lunch? I don’t see it.

I hate to break it to them, but this “new” policywill result in one of several outcomes:

1. An attempt at this policy will start with good intentions. Some teachers will allow students to use their phones or will ignore it when they have them out. Administrators and other teachers will get frustrated with this, get tired of being seen as the “bad guy,”  and the policy will die quickly, and everything will go right back to where it is now.
2. Most teachers will begin attempting to enforce this policy and some will have success. Those who do not will either give up or will begin sending students to administrators via the office referral. Administrators will become inundated with them and start checking the box that says, “conference with pupil.”  This information will quickly spread and teachers will be frustrated with the “lack of support,”  and the policy will quickly die and everything will go right back to where it is now.
3. Several students will quickly move up the ladder of “progressive discipline” and will arrive at the suspension rung and that’s where they will stop.  Administrators will refuse to suspend a student for “just having a cell phone,”  Some students who are seen as “high flyers” may get suspended for the cell phone rule, and the administrators will face scrutiny for “not being consistent.”  The policy will slowly go away, and everything will go right back to where it is now.
4. A student will refuse to turn over his or her phone and the student will be disciplined according to the “progressive discipline.” The parent(s) will object, file an appeal and the school system will cave. The policy will die quickly, and everything will go right back to where it is now.
5. There will be an ugly incident in which a student refuses to hand over the phone, an SRO will get involved (when he shouldn’t be) and we will see the body cam footage on the 6:00 news and there will be an out of court settlement and/or a DOJ or OCR investigation. See an example of this here. The policy will die quickly, and everything will go right back to where it is now.
6. The school system will see an incredible increase in suspensions and other means of exclusionary discipline. The state will begin investigating AA County for such an increase, and AA County will get pressure from MSDE and this will trickle down to the school level. The policy will die quickly, and everything will go right back to where it is now.
7. The policy will work, and the cell phone issue will slowly go away.

I have seen every one of these outcomes firsthand except for the last one.

The policy looks great on paper.  Good luck enforcing it!