http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/4790951/

Quote :

"Cell phones will be confiscated from students at a Fayetteville school at the start of the day after teachers caught them texting test answers twice this year. The Fayetteville Observer reported that the ban at Fayetteville Christian School takes effect on Tuesday. School headmaster Tammi Peters told parents in an e-mail that students will put their cell phones into plastic food bags marked with their name at the start of the school day. The bags will be collected and stored in the office, and students can reclaim their phones by revisiting their first-period teachers before leaving the building. Approximately 370 students will be affected by the ban. Those who violate it will be assigned a Saturday work day at the school and a $25 fine. Recurring offenders could be suspended."

Im surprised no public school has required this. Dunno if they could get away with the fine...

3/22/2009 10:14:52 PM

I think this is a pretty good idea.

3/22/2009 10:24:00 PM

Quote :

"headmaster Tammi Peters"

speed dial

3/22/2009 10:25:37 PM

you should have texted somebody to ask them how to spell "requires"

3/22/2009 10:25:42 PM

yeah i'd like to hear how it goes - i assume a private school will have more luck getting $$ than a public school - i'm still not sure how they'll ensure payment tho

http://www.fayettevillechristian.com/index.php

3/22/2009 10:27:09 PM

apply it against their state income return

3/22/2009 10:29:34 PM

^^ umm, I would think if they don't pay the fine they don't get the phone back.

3/22/2009 10:48:04 PM

i know my old HS school did confiscate phones but had to give them back either to a parent or upon parent request (via phone or letter)

not sure as its kinda adkin to either police action or theft, neither which they are allowed to do.

3/22/2009 11:12:58 PM

y not just take them up on test day?

3/22/2009 11:23:40 PM

Good idea. I wish I could do this in my classroom.

3/22/2009 11:28:30 PM

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4355

3/22/2009 11:31:02 PM

My old high school took cellphones too, middle school took phones when they got popular among younger kids after I had graduated to high school.

3/22/2009 11:37:42 PM

^^ I'll admit, I'm tempted to get one for my classroom.

Quote :

"There are people who swears a lot in the phone while kids are around so I use this one to shut them up."

what?

3/23/2009 12:42:46 AM

our school just didn't allow phones at all. students weren't even supposed to have them with them at school. you were good as long as they didn't see it though.

3/23/2009 12:47:56 AM

3/23/2009 5:53:05 AM

Quote :

"not sure as its kinda adkin to either police action or theft, neither which they are allowed to do."

Master_Yoda, I am sure New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985) allows the school to perform this kind of activity.

3/23/2009 6:09:14 AM

^wasn't that with weed though?

3/23/2009 6:23:51 AM

My middle school takes them if the kids use them in class. The kids can have them, just must remain in their pocket/bookbag/purse and be off. First offense its in the office for them to get at the end of the day. Second offense mom and dad has to come get it. Third offense is a referral and the parents have to get it and have a conference and disciplinary action is taken. No clue what happens after that.

[Edited on March 23, 2009 at 6:59 AM. Reason : ]

3/23/2009 6:59:00 AM

^ Public flogging

3/23/2009 7:50:13 AM

we weren't allowed to bring phones to school back in the day. if you were seen w/ one it was taken til the end of the day and you could go to the office to get it back. most people just left them in their car or put them in their locker if they forgot. i think it's a great policy.

3/23/2009 8:21:24 AM

I hope every kid at that school puts their ringer on the loudest possible setting before turning it in each day.

3/23/2009 8:26:45 AM

3/23/2009 9:37:57 AM

The scope of this rule, especially the fine, seems a bit reactionary. But, this is a private school and they can do as they wish.

As was stated in a previous post, a simpler solution would be to just take the phones away during tests. Have the kids use an already-labeled plastic bag immediately after walking into the classroom. If a kid is caught with a cell phone during an exam they fail. Likewise, distracting use in a regular class section warrants confiscation until the end of that class and perhaps additional punishment. Of course, cell phones shouldn't be used for goofing off in class, but they do serve a purpose, especially in the case of emergency situations that may arise before, after, and even during school hours.

3/23/2009 9:39:13 AM

cell phones are one of the biggest problems in the classroom today. it is a constant battle. they should not be allowed in schools whatsoever.

3/23/2009 10:01:35 AM

Quote :

"especially in the case of emergency situations that may arise before, after, and even during school hours."

unless someone comes in and shoots up the school and you've got people trapped in closets, parents can do what they did for decades before the cellphone was commonplace

call the front office and have the child sent for

not sure why the kid wouldn't have their phone before or after school, though.. they're just collecting them during the day, right?

[Edited on March 23, 2009 at 10:46 AM. Reason : +]

3/23/2009 10:45:39 AM

^^ Yes yes yes. There is no reason for them to be in the classroom.

Ireland apparently has a really strict ban. If you get caught with your phone at school it gets taken away for a week or longer. I can't remember exactly but the Irish guys that work here were always saying it should be implemented elsewhere

3/23/2009 10:56:31 AM

Cell phones in school weren't really a problem until everybody started texting. Some kids were ballsy and just chatted it up during class, but for most of us, it was a pretty rare occasion.

And before that it was pagers....OMG DRUG DEALERS!!!!

3/23/2009 11:09:15 AM

Quote :

"unless someone comes in and shoots up the school and you've got people trapped in closets, parents can do what they did for decades before the cellphone was commonplace"

damn right

3/23/2009 11:09:39 AM

^ Agreed. I was more referring to the possibility of confiscation which lasted longer than the remainder of the school day - and car breaks down, etc - the (hopefully) main reasons parents buy cell phones for their kids. Even in "emergency situations" before or after school, a kid with any sense should be able to deal with most anything relatively well. I think a cell phone could be an unnecessary crutch, when actually thinking on your own and dealing with situations is possible - but that is a whole other issue. It just seems that with every new rule, schools are becoming more like prisons than places of learning. Whomever is to blame, it is just unfortunate.

3/23/2009 11:21:04 AM

prisons?

if anything, these kids have more distractions and free reign than they've ever had

you can't discipline worth beans because everyone's so sue-happy

and learning?

between video games, computers, 30000 tv channels and cell-phones, you've got a classroom full of wiggle-worms who can't pay attention because their brains have been overstimulated and fried by the 3rd grade

and they wonder why cases of ADD have gone through the roof? it's a shame... because some people legitimately have chemical imbalances... but some parents would rather give their kids pills instead of taking the tv out of their child's bedroom

[Edited on March 23, 2009 at 12:06 PM. Reason : +]

3/23/2009 12:01:38 PM

i don't understand the sense of entitlement some people have when it comes to cellphones. i don't want to sound like a hypocrite, i carried a cellphone all through high school, but i understood the arguments about why they weren't allowed and i kept it in my backpack (phones were still a little bulky for pockets)

why is this newsworthy? most schools do not allow cellphones and for good reasons. i think a lot of parents need to be more involved when it comes to their kids cellphones, if i ever have a daughter she is getting the shittiest phone with no camera and no picture messaging.

3/23/2009 1:49:33 PM

Quote :

"if i ever have a daughter she is getting the shittiest phone with no camera and no picture messaging. a cell phone when she pays for it herself."

Fixed it.

3/23/2009 7:44:50 PM

as long as i'm still seeing the bill and reading text messages i'm ok with that. i always paid for my phone, first plan was $19.99 a month of 45 minutes haha

3/23/2009 7:57:44 PM

Yeah, when I was in high school my parents let me get a cell phone as soon as I could pay for it myself. They just stuck me on their family plan and billed me every month. I think it kept me from doing a lot of retarded things like going over my minutes since I didn't want to pay for it lol.

3/23/2009 8:12:36 PM

Quote :

"cell phones are one of the biggest problems in the classroom today. it is a constant battle. they should not be allowed in schools whatsoever."

cut me a fucking break...

its simple get caught texting or using your phone in class and its confiscated.

get caught using a cellphone to cheat you get a 0 and sent to the principal's office just as if you were cheating any otherway (in high school i used to put answers programmed into my graphing calculator)

otherwise who gives a fuck except a bunch of reactionary disciplinarians jealous that they did not get to talk on the cell phone during their lunch break back in 1978.

3/23/2009 11:50:16 PM

^ It's not that easy for everyone. I've been told legally I'm not allowed to take away cell phones, even during a test

3/24/2009 12:09:29 AM

Quote :

"cut me a fucking break... its simple get caught texting or using your phone in class and its confiscated. get caught using a cellphone to cheat you get a 0 and sent to the principal's office just as if you were cheating any otherway (in high school i used to put answers programmed into my graphing calculator) otherwise who gives a fuck except a bunch of reactionary disciplinarians jealous that they did not get to talk on the cell phone during their lunch break back in 1978."

you really have no idea what you are talking about. I had a cell phone when I was in high school... (it was one of those fancy models small enough to fit into a pocket in 1998)
I never dreamed of using it during class. The texting is out of control. there are policies about taking phones, but when you spend a large portion of your class period dealing with them, it takes away valuable time.

3/24/2009 10:26:27 AM

oh, and

Quote :

"requies "

3/24/2009 10:27:43 AM

has texting made passing notes obsolete?

3/24/2009 10:41:45 AM

What authority does the school have to issue a fine?

3/24/2009 1:10:34 PM

when i was in highschool they would confiscate our phones...at least sometimes...some of the teachers would just get annoyed but not feel like going through the trouble to take them...mind you this is 2002-2003 back when not everyone had a cell phone yet...i'd imagine its a lot harder to enforce now

3/24/2009 1:12:05 PM

I got a cell when I turned 16. It was for emergency situations and it stayed in the car while I was at school. My son will have one for safety reasons, but i will find the biggest, ugliest phone that still works. I think my father-in-law still has a bag phone somewhere. I might see if he will let me have it.

3/24/2009 7:56:38 PM

^ my friend will pay you for that. he wants one

constovich, I mean confiscate permanently. I dont see how any school could do that. Temporary yes, but even as someone said for a week, or a set period of time, it couldnt be against parents' will.

patman, thats my other question, then again its a private school so who knows.

wolfpackgrr, who the fuck told you that you couldnt take them legally. If theres a policy then hell ya. its contraband. as long as you establish it before its done. is it any different then a note passed?

3/24/2009 9:59:37 PM

I teach in a different country so I'm sure the rules are different from most states.

3/24/2009 10:02:26 PM

i'm sure by "fine" they actually mean, we add $25 to your bill next semester, it's a private school so they can do whatever they want in regards to cost

3/24/2009 10:02:39 PM

they took jerrr phone

seriously though I have heard that since 9/11 they want kids to have phones. But I understand the cheating part.

^after the third time they have the phone out they get held back a year

3/26/2009 7:22:44 AM

as a former teacher, I can say that this would be a good idea as long as they do it in a way that is not cumbersome or time consuming.

3/26/2009 7:52:52 AM

at a public school you can bet your bottom dollar that the staff would be spending their breaks rubbing one out to their favorite students nudie pix and then having said student arrested for child porn

3/26/2009 3:24:10 PM

Man, NO ONE had phones while we were in HS. Boy, it's funny how times have changed.

3/27/2009 6:19:57 PM

set em up

3/27/2009 8:53:43 PM