I'm confused... Just a little while ago, weren't people upset about this because it takes a valuable tool away from disabled kids and also means silencing them in active shooter situations?

I like this, but it doesn’t deal with the fact that schools are generally not safe for children these days because of gun violence, bullying, racism, etc. I would want my child to have a phone for those instances. I was a junior in high school when Columbine happened and things are much worse today.

Is THIS the fight for today? Really? wow...

I just… I came up in a time where even *suspecting* the presence of a cellphone was acceptable grounds to frisk my bag, get it confiscated and put in a drawer, and my parents could come get it later if they really thought I needed it. Or at best I got it back end of class. What the hell happened?

Weekly school shootings.

Yah until schools can guarantee my kids safety, my kids keep their phones.

Not a criticism, a genuine question: What is an individual kid's phone doing to keep them safe while at the unsafe school? I want to understand the answer as part of making up my mind about phone bans.

The phone allows them to call 911 should they need to. Our school doesn't have a panic button to notify police of an issue. And when my kids experience a code red they text me. They want to communicate w me. It's a sense of security.

Thanks.

It is also the best way to prevent surreptitious GenAI access even when using paper and pen.

I am a high school teacher and I would give my right arm for kids to have to lock up their phones on the way in to school. It’s a distraction to such a huge degree that I can’t even explain it. Every kid, every class, every day. The phones need to go!!!

I will only add that a number that would surprise many (though maybe it shouldn't if they were honest with themselves about what they were seeing with there own eyes) are addicted--straight up addicted--and need help getting the monkey off their back.

chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/...

Children have no need for smartphones. Flip phones until age 16 or 17.