I consider myself lucky. When I taught school, all telephones were wired to a wall. The only way kids could communicate with one another was to pass notes – notes that I often intercepted and read to the class. Imagine doing that today. I probably would be hauled into court for violating some privacy act.

In New York City, schools have placed a ban on the use of cell phones. That may make sense to most people who understand how such distractions interfere with the learning a teacher is trying to accomplish in the classroom. Cell phones are used to take pictures in locker rooms, cheat on tests, deal drugs, and carry on a constant stream of busy talk and text messaging. I can’t imagine trying to teach a lesson on any topic with kids connected to their cell phones while disconnected from a teacher’s delivery of a lesson.

But the ban didn’t go over well with a group of parents who are suing the district, saying that the ban places their child’s safety in jeopardy. It is difficult to deal with an issue that juxtaposes safety with learning, but there must be some common ground here. How about if the kids who need phones for safety reasons when going to and from school check their phones in as they enter school and retrieve them as they leave? Too simple? One parent group has challenged students to offer solutions to the problem. Now that could be interesting.

NY Times article (registration required)