and no offense, but speaking of 'when we were in school', never did teachers complain so bitterly and openly for all the world to hear/see - including the children they teach.

Have enough sense to make yourselves respectable images so the children will respect your rules in the classroom - enough of this pass the buck mentality.

remember "it takes a village to raise a child" as Ms. Clinton and other wise people from around the world have obseved, as teachers you are right up there in front of the crowd, get another job if it feels like an unfair imposition tp take part in shaping our future minds.

All,
There are so many of these comments that I agree with. I'm a 19 year old consultant for a software company. I graduated in the top 20% of my high school class, and went through a 5 month tech school to get where I am. All of this was done...WITH A CELL PHONE! I had a cellphone for 2 years of middle school and all 4 years of high school. I used my phone in between classes, but not in them. A cell phone is extremely important (not necessary, but important) for a child to have, because they need to be able to have quick contact with family. I had to be able to let my mom know when I would be home late from a basketball practice, or when a practice or rehersal was cancelled so she would know when I would be home, so she didn't worry. Kids should be taught that using a cellphone at certain times is extremely disrespectful, but they should also be taught that they are important to have, and should be used in ANY emergency, because lets face it...kids are kids.

The only time I believe that I child should have a cell phone is when that child begins driving by himself/herself and needs the phone in case of an emergency.  I do not see the point in a child younger than that having a cell phone, particularly on school grounds where there are land lines.  As for the point that the psychologist tries to make about children getting a ride with a friend...well, I'm sure that friend's mother has a phone and will allow the child to use it to call his/her parents to update them as to his or her location.  My family, friends, and I did fine without cell phones as children and so can the children of this generation.  

As a 16 year old high school student I don't approve of the "cellphone bans" that they have in schools. It should be the parent's responsibility to discipline their children and not the school's. In my opinion, if you have a cellphone, you should be mature enough and have the common sense to know when it is appropriate to use it. Unfortunately, I do see many of my fellow classmates on their phones during the class and I don't think highly of them, especially being in the Advanced Placement classes.

There is a time and place for cellphones in school, just not during class.

First of all, we are in a time of technology. Cell Phones are a part of everyday life. People need to realize that the world has changed from the "60's 70's and 80's." Life is a lot more convienient because of cell phones. As a high school student I use my cell phone on a daily basis. NOT just using it as a way to talk to my friends but to inform my parents I need a ride, or tell them I have become ill, or tell them I have been hurt, or tell them I am in an emergency, or even tell them where I am going and where I will be! On many occasions when I had to stay after school for extra help or for sports, school phones were unavailable to use because the school office was closed. Cell phones are a great tool to have especially when there is no other way to communicate.

Basic Line, cell phones are a safety net for both parents and kids.

People stop living in the stone age, start accepting that cell phones are a part of everyday life, and QUIT complaining!!!!

Ok after reading some of these comments it amazes me to think that cell phones are a necessity for students in class or at school in general as pointed out by many others and I agree with many of the comments. Teachers do have enough to contend with on a daily basis (I am one - Elementary). My Dad - retired teacher, still subbing is always telling me stories about how most of what is done in class is TM and how absolutely irritating it is.  I won't even discuss MP3 players. My 13 year old niece recently went over her "budget" of TM and her Mom says she owes her the $$ - wonder if she will ever get it-.  The funniest thing is the consequence - they actually added more minutes to her TM allowance!  We now live a fear based society, I don't think the world is any less dangerous - we just have more access to information at our fingertips.  How many people actually know their neighbors? And what has happened to the sense of community? Trusting other people to also look after our kids? Trusting the systems our public schools have in place to respond to emergencies?  Are parents so fearful that devestating things will happen to their children on a daily basis? What about teaching our children self reliance and teaching them to listen to cues to tell them to avoid dangerous situations (that old gut instinct). There are more good people in the world than people believe there are.  Parents seem to be projecting their fears on to their children, setting their kids up with their own agendas. Overindulgence with things kids apparently need to get through life - it is getting out of control.  Distractions such as cell phones and MP3 players don't belong in school.  I am a Mom of two, we don't have a video game player, We have one cell phone with a pay as you go plan (and I don't even know haw to receive messages!)and somehow we actually manage to get through life - in fact we may even know more about each other reading physical cues and not digital ones.

Obviously a lot of parents don't pay attention and go with the "hype" of having a normal cell phone.  There is a special cell phone designed just for KIDS!  Parents are able to program three emergency numbers into the cell phone ( parents or guardians/grandparents and 911 ).  These cell phones are not capable of texting, taking pictures, videos, etc.  It is also federal law stating that all cell phones that are not activated through a carrier be able contact 911.  Here is the link for fellow parents - http://www.fireflymobile.com/ .  I am a parent of a toddler and i worry every minute of the day that we are "out and about" doing errands, and I worry about when my child is older and will not always have myself or his father protecting him.  This cell phone is perfect for kids and parents for emergency reasons only.

I am on the School Board in Newton County Goergia...we have discussed this policy for several years and finally we decided the students may carry the phone to school, it must be off during school hours, after the last bell they may use the phones at school.  If they are caught using the phone during school hours (8:30 to 3:30) the phone is taken;they are disciplined and parent have to come to the school the pick up  the phone...I have three sons ages 27 to 15 and I must say it is nice to be able to reach my son after football practice!

All this ignorance about people thinking if a child should have a phone at school.... Many are acting like kids are bringing knifes to school; as if cell phones are harmful in any way, shape, or form. Why don't you take away their right to talk as well, they can cheat that way to. Hell why don't you take away their right to think as well. Cell phones are used for safty measures for children. Many have after school sports or other activities. So I should tell my baseball coach "yeah sorry I couldn't make it on time, I had to run home and get my cell phone so that I can call my mom to pick me up after practice.". The reason my parents gave me a phone was for sports and other things I did after school. If I went to a buddys house. Then if we choose to do something else I check in and tell them. It allows more freedom to the child and more security for the parents. Also it can teach responsibility if used properly. Just as much as anything else a cell phone is a tool. Heres a solution how about we all get brains and decide "no cell phones out in class". Wow that was hard to think up... seriously makes me feel ingenious, or rather at least you people do. Cell phones are used as tools, as all tools, cell phones can be abused just as much as any other tool. So sorry if my parents are as rich as you are to have people babysit them and hold their hands after school or have good working hours so they can always be there when a child needs them. Get over yourselfs and the past. This is the future. Deal with it.

OK. Here's a reply from an actual student. Being a freshman in college now, I saw 4 years of students cheating and not paying attention or doing classwork from texting and using their cellphones. I never used a cellphone in class. I had no need for one in class, or at school for that matter. Those who think they are necessary in school are complete fools. THERE ARE PHONES AT THE SCHOOL AVAILABLE TO THE STUDENT! High school students are NOT responsible kids! Simply put: your kids are going to become incompetent adults! They are going to fail and not aspire to anything! I mean, today I was watching the power of 10 and there was a lady contestant who said she didn't know what scrutinize meant! How are these people getting out of school with a 4th grade vocabulary?! She was a contestant on the CBS show Big Brother (which explains some of it right there), but still.

Seriously, if you want your son/daughter to succeed in high school, come to reality and don't let them have cell phones in school, let alone anywhere, say, until they're 18 or so, when they become a tad bit more responsible.

Again, this is coming from an actual student.

Hmmm - for those of you making comments about the 50's and 60's and not needing cell phones then and not needing them now ... when did the Columbine Massacre happen?  THAT happened in the 90's NOT the 50's or 60's.  Other high school shootings have happened NOW not then.   It was the kids with the cell phones that were able to contact emergency crews before any one else.  These kids were able to call their parents to let them know they were ok or the parents had a direct link to their children to find out if they were ok without having to call the school and wait several agonizing hours before they find out.  My 15 year old has a cell phone that I MAKE her carry with her at all times when away from me.  I am also proactive in the fact that I check the online statement every day to make sure she was not using the phone when she wasnt supposed to and if she did, she got disciplined.  Bottom line, effective parenting will take care of other issues.  Some people need to realize there are a lot more dangers to our children now than there were 50 years ago.

I am a mother and a high school teacher so I see it from both sides.

We allow cell phones in school but they may not be used during the school day unless the student is in the front hall where the pay phone is and they have a pass to be using a phone.  

They may not be seen in class, period.  If we see one we may say to put it away or confiscate it, teacher's choice depending on the situation.  Any refusal and it's confiscated and the student may then pick it up in the office at the end of the day.  If use continues another day, the phone is confiscated and parents are called in.

This is the compromise we have arrived at that balances the student's ability to have a phone for emergency reasons with the teacher's need to manage a classroom.  

Cellphones are extremely disruptive in a classroom and students should not be using them to make or receive calls or text messages, period.  Previous posts have already listed many reasons why but my biggest complaint is their potential for cheating.  I've even had students text home to get a parent to dismiss them for the day because an assignment was due and they weren't ready.  (Some parents will do anything to "help" their child)

With our policy, if there is some kind of emergency at the school, a student could call for help.  But a parent should still go through the office for their own emergency contact.  After all, if an emergency has happened in their family, they wouldn't want their emotionally distraught teen to rush out of the building without counseling, would they?

Also, anyone who uses past incidences at schools (like Columbine, for instance) for the reason kids MUST HAVE cellphones are copouts. Stop using those for backing up your illogical reasonings. Its cheap. You have no argument. Violence is ALWAYS on the rise. That does not mean a cellphone in the hands of an irresponsible teenager is the solution!

All you overprotected parents are the reason for many of the problems!

Plus, any student response in favor of having cellphones should be disregarded. Unless they give an actual example from there personal life where a cell phone was the only solution, it is biased.

Once again, the student.

There is no need for cell phones in today's classrooms - just as there was no need for them in the past. In the case of a true emergency, schools have in place systems that protect the children and notify the parents. Cell phones in school are an unnecessary distraction that take time away from teachers and have been implicated in cheating.

Clearly times have changed.  It is very good to know that parents want their children to be safe, but the fact of the matter is that when kids are in school, the school should do their best to keep the kids in their (school) safe hands at all times.  I am opposed for students to have cell phones in school.  This conclusion comes from multiple instances where students use cell phones within school premises to bully other students, cheat, and be a nuisance during class time.  Bottom line I think schools should BAN cell phones on campus.  What you do with the phone before and after, off campus is up to the student.

I vote that cell phones should not be allowed at school.  Video, camera, text, IM, internet, games, etc all are distractions that are not needed and should not be allowed.  I remember when I was in middle and high school that if you were caught with electronic games, the teacher would take them away and keep them until the end od the nine week period and then they had to be reclaimed by your parents.  Cell phones and electronics are simply distractions (look at car crash rates involving them) even though they are great tools, school is a place to learn with out a crutch or a crib sheet.  Not to mention the potential for sexual harassment with a camera phone.  imagine one in a locker room.  Ban them entirely.  No exceptions. Teachers and students alike.  School staff can use walkie talkies for campus communications if needed.

To the person working for the school district in California with a daughter attending school 20 minutes away, evidently you must work in an office because you don't know how a classroom full of kids work.  When administrators breathe down your neck to teach better, when the state is requiring you to teach this way, when your life as a teacher starts to become more of a daycare provider, then you can say something about teachers.  Cell phones are the key ingredient for students to misbehave, to be anything else rather then be a student.  I don't know for the life of me how many times students have had their folks call them in the middle of class, and wouldnt you know it some of those parents happen to be the bookkeeper at the head office.

thanks for making it harder for teachers to teach, better yet for making it harder for students to learn.

I agree that cell phones should not be used in school however in these times of daily escalating violence I want my child to have her phone in her pocket at all times.  If something happens in her school it will do her no good locked in locker.  My daughter is 11yo she has had a cell phone since she was 8yo.  I got it for her after the Jessica Lunsford kidnapping and murder.  She has it for family and emergency use. She is instructed to keep it in her pocket on vibrate.  #1 on the keypad is programmed to dial 911 so in an emergency she just has to reach in her pocket and push one button.  It never has to be out of her pocket.  I told her that if she does need to use it to call me or her dad she is to get out of sight as it will only be effective if no-one knows she has it.  We explained to her that if someone plans to snatch her that they will probably watch her first. If they see she has a phone it will do her no good because the first thing they do will be take it away. She has been very mature about its use and realizes that it can be her lifeline.  The first misuse will have dire consequences and she knows it.  Don't speak to about not being a parent and relying on technology to do it for me.  My child is forewarned and with that phone foreARMED.  It might not save her life but maybe it will.

I have to agree that kids should be allowed to have cell phones in schools, mainly to protect the children from the schools themselves. When I was a kid, pre-cell phone era, I had the misfortune of meeting up with a hideously unfair and cruel teacher and principal working in conjunction. To make a very long story short, as a disciplinary measure for a minor infraction, I was physically assaulted by the principal. Do you think I was given a chance to use the landline then to call my mom for help, or even the police? No. When I tried to call for help, I had the phone snatched out of my hand and my mom lied to by the principal that everything was ok, and was then dragged into another room where I was assaulted again. By the time my mom found out, it was after school, and the school district had begun to run its "damage control" system.

People put too much trust into our school system. Just because they say they're "teaching" and doing good doesn't mean they are. Parents need to look out for their kids in the ways they see fit, because no one else cares about their kids as much as they do. And if that means teachers have to give extra detentions for texting in class, so be it.

I am deaf and a working mother.  First of all, I agree cell phones aren't necessary during the course of a normal school day.  I am not in favor of a ban, but I do want cell phones available (turned off when not needed or when not in use).  For before and after school times as well as during emergencies, cell phones should be accessible to students.

I also have two teenagers.  My work requires a lot of travelling, so I am not near a land line.  Also, a land line requires use of a TTY and most schools/places do not have a TTY accessible.  School personnel aren't able to contact me by telephone, but they do contact me by email which comes to my cell phone if they need to notify me of problems occuring during the school hours.  During off school times, the solution for my very active and sports involved teenagers to contact me with their schedule is by text messaging me to my cell phone.  This enables us to coordinate our schedules together and allows quick contact for emergencies.  

This ability to have quick contact came in handy when there was a car accident they were involved in as passengers (my teenagers aren't old enough to drive) and the police officers were unable to contact me (because I was deaf). However, my teenagers could contact me with the cell phone via text messaging.  I was then able to go meet them at the hospital.

As with all things, there are pros and cons.  The cons have to be dealt with wisely.

I am a high school senior who has had a cell phone for the past 6 years; I couldn't even think about not having my cell phone in school. I am a straight A student and I use my cell phone for emergencies, and yes sometimes that is in the middle of class. I doesn't make a difference if some think we shouldn't have cell phones it is a part of our lifes, just as common as a parent driving to work. So all the teacher complaining about us having them in school suck it up because we have them and they are not going any time soon!!!!

I am teacher and a parent.  While I understand the safety reasons for a parent wanting a child to have a cell phone (e.g. walking to and from school), you have no idea what a problem cell phones have become.  My district has a policy that the cell phones cannot be visible during the school day.  Even that is a problem.  I have kids text messaging their friends at school, cell phones ringing during class, etc...  Something else the kids like to do is go to the restroom to use their phones.  I can hear them on them and they come walking out of the restroom with the phones in their hands.  I am supposed to confiscate them, but I have had kids threaten and scream at me when I ask.  I have to call security and have them removed.  It is a joke for parents to think their children will use them only during an emergency.  Their is NO REASON for their use during school hours.  You just have no idea what a nightmare it is.  If a parent needs to call their child or visa versa, just go through the office.  Any student who gets a phone call in my class, from a parent or not, gets a referral/detention.

Any parent here that thinks they have some sort of RIGHT to equip their children with cellphones in school is selfish!  Kids are kids, they're learning, yes? So most likely, they'll abuse their so-called "right" in the classroom.  I can't stand the excuses the same parent make saying "I pay for the school to blah blah and police this blah". No you don't, you pay for them to teach your kids.  And FYI: emergencies are one in a BILLION that a cellphone at school would be better than the school phone. That's right, you heard it, one in a billion. Columbine? Virginia Tech? That's like saying a meteor might strike your kid so he better have a cellphone on him.  Stop worrying so much and teach your kids to not be so dang afraid.  You grew up fine without a cellphone in school, can't your kid?

dan you are so rude with your comment for this question Jackie:
Do you have kids!!

Dan:
You had to go there…this conversation is over.
if you have kids you wouldnt have said that rude comment i dont think you should be saying any more rude comments thanks

First of all when we were in school the kids didn't carry guns and try to kill each other.  No I don't think the phone should be on at school, but I do agree if there is an emergency they can call their parent if for nothing more then to be reassured by them they are going to be ok.  Our school had 71 bomb threats, two children being escorted off the campus for having guns, and no telling how many times the police were called in to break up a racial fight all in a two period.  YES I want my kid to have a cell phone so I can be notified by someone when something like this happens around my child, because God knows if you wait on the school officials to call you well then your child is already facing trouble. You can go online and monitor if the phone is turned on, if they send a text or whatever and at that point if the child is not following the rules then he/she gets it taken away. Its a matter of peace for everyone involved.  I bet it a student came into the class shooting up everyone, someone in that class would be glad a child had a cell phone. Just my 2 cents worth.

I think it would be ok for the kids to have better access to messages, be able to use the cell phone before and after school and during lunch. My husband is currently in Iraq for the next year. He talks to our children every other weekend. He has opportunity to call during the day, which COULD be around their lunch time, but they are at school. If they had access to a phone, he could possibly call them and chat with them while they are on lunch. His days are our late night 10:30pm, he goes to his room about 1 pm our time and has no access to a phone until just before and just after his shift. In addition, when is the last time you tried to call the school to tell your child you would be late picking them up, or they need to ride the bus home because you cannot make it there (if they have that option). I have had a 2nd grade child start walking a 2 mile walk home from school because someone in the office "forgot" to relay the message to the teacher that she needed to go to afterschool care because i couldn't pick her up. We lived out of district so she did not have the option to ride a bus home. So when i hadnt arrived about 15 minutes later she and another child started walking home. When i arrived to pick her up, they said she wasnt there. I called the police and located her and the other student walking down a major highway. Had she had some form of contact, she could have called me to see where i was or i could have left her a message - as a back up in addition to calling the school office. The office worker did get into trouble, but that would not have resolved anything had something happened to my child.

Remember Columbine???
That is why my kids will have their cell phones in school. Not for any other reason.

I am a retired teacher and a parent of grown children. And I am glad that I am.

Absolutely I will have my child carry a cell phone. No she will NOT be allowed to use it during school hours, in any way. I will not allow texting at all. I'm paying the bill, I will be able to see if she is using her phone during school hours, or texting. If she does, then she gets privleges taken away. I and my husband work, I work early afternoon to late at night. He works early morning till, many times, after 8pm. We live in a small town, but that is where most of these school shootings seem to happen, is in the smaller towns. It eases my mind. If the school even tries to take her phone away, they will have me to deal with. And if they ever try to impose a "fine" they can take that and shove it.

Most kids have cell phones and they are great in some cases, but during class they are not at all necessary.  I think if the teacher sees them out at all, the phone is gone!  I know for a fact that kids cheat by texting.  I agree that teachers should not have to be police over yet another thing in the classroom, but if the rule was that the phone is gone if it is out, maybe the kids would listen.  

I remember not too long ago, when I was in Middle School, there were several days when I was left waiting after school for hours upon hours before I realized I had to walk several miles home with a loaded backpack. When I had the quarters I would be able to call home and find out if I am getting picked up or if I need to get a ride from a friend. A cell phone would have been nice indeed.

I wouldn't blame my parents either. They are immigrants and work 24/7 to keep a roof over our head and food on the table.

In anycase, I was harassed on the way home on more than one occasion. I was lucky that it wasn't anything serious.

My point is that many things can happen before, during, or after school and banning cell phones is an idiotic idea. I agree that it should be restricted but definitly not banned.

If having cell phones in schools can prevent a single child from going missing, I believe it is worth the nuisance.

Our school system does not allow cell phones.

This year both my children will attend the same school. It is a combined middle/high school that is over two miles from our home and on a road with no sidewalks where the posted speed limit is 45mph.  

Employees of this school refused to allow me to speak to my older child after my car was demolished while I was driving one of her classmates, who had missed the bus, to school.  The other driver was an employee of the school, so the child went on to the school with that person.  My child,told by her classmate about the accident,was in tears, and begged to call me. She was refused.  I was refused because the situation was not deemed an emergency.  

Last February my oldest child fell on ice and broke her wrist on our way to her Dad's burial.  The orthopedist who set the fracture, and put on a cast, gave specific instructions: NO GYM.  Within days of her injuy I received an anonyomous cell phone call, whose user who told me my child was "being picked on." I was allowed to listen to an escalating confrontation between my daughter and her gym teacher because my child refused to participate in gym.

I realize that this is exactly the type of situation that most school systems (and teachers) would decry, but I can't agree that our anonymous caller was in the wrong either. I will be forever grateful to that student.

In January, I was unable to pick up my son and my second grade nephew, who was new to our area.  I called the school and asked that the boys be told to take the schoolbus. Neither child was on the bus.  I drove to the school, searching for them, and was told that they were never given the message.  

It was a day of sub-zero temperature and they had waited to be picked up and then decided to walk.  By the time they realized they had made a mistake, they could not call for lack of a cell phone. Fortunately, they were safe, but cold.  

I don't think jamming the phone's signal is appropriate either, at any time.  It can defeat the purpose of poviding an extra layer of safety to our kids' backpacks. Remember Emily Keyes last words to her father were in a text message from her cell phone!

I guess if you feel safe leaving your child in the care of your school system, that your school system is dependable enough to give them a message if you do need to reach them or even allow you to speak to them in an emergency, then they don't need a cell phone.

Our school system has demonstrated repeatedly the need for my children to have cell phones.  And they will!! They will be inexpensive, pre-paids and if they use them for non-emergent reasons, they will lose it!!

Most of you parents are without hope, most of us over the age of 35 did not have phones in school years. I went to school 25 miles from my home, used public transport to and from school and as long as I was home before 6 pm, my time was my own.

Children today have become tied to mums apron strings with cell phones, no independence and no responsability for themselves, after all mom or dad will come running if there is an issue, almost any issue. If I were a teacher and a child shoved a phone in my face, I would say good bye to the parent, turn off the phone, confiscate it and send the child to the principals office, where they could explain to the principal their actions. Also the child could stay there for the rest of the day to ponder their actions.

Teachers should not be harrassed by students. In our school system we had corporal punishment, It taught you not to step out of line, always bring your homework with you and always do your homework. Teachers are there to teach, not police. I remember one occassion where we as a class decided to all not do our homework, all 40 of us in the french class. The teacher usd the cane on all 40 of us, it never happened again.

Thankfully I am not a teacher, for I have old fashioned ideas. Men should open doors for ladies, children should give up seats to their elders etc..

The school and the teachers should proscute children and their parents to the full extent of the law if personal privacy laws are broken, after all the parent is legally responsable for the actions of the child until the child is an adult, or am I wrong here...

Yes I am a parent, I have 2 children one who is mostly responable with her phone and one who can't remember where it is from one minute to the next, including when it is in his pocket when he is swimming.

A useful deterrent for children texting in class would be a bucket of water at the front of the class. If a child is caught texting in class twice, the 3rd time the phone is dropped in the bucket. The child can retrieve it after class, I can promise they won't do it a 4th time.

For parents who think I am mean, I don't care, children have to learn to grow up and be responsible adults. I am an IT Manager for a large company in a US city, personal cell phones are not allowed in the work place, employees are there to work, not chat on the phone, we are not paying them for that. It is the same with our children, they are there to learn, not chat.

I think schools should set standards for phones on their premises, it should be explained to parents during the parent teacher meetings and should have the backing of the PTA. No phones with cameras, are allowed on school property, period. Anyone caught with such a phone will have it confiscated and the child will be suspended for 1 week for the first offence, no exceptions.

Parents may not like it, but as in the office place, the children are there to learn, the parents are not, supposedly they have already done their learning. If a parent does not like, tell them to sue, schools are about rules, and keeping them, not about our childrens rights, they can have those at home, with their parents.

My children have no rights, as I have explained to them many times. They can have rights when they leave home and live on their own. My home, my rules, like it or leave. They are still there, so I guess they like it.

As a School Police Officer for the past 12 years, I'm convinced that many parents don't have a clue of the plurality of distractions that already exist in schools today for students of all ages. Too many parents have no idea what teachers, administrators & other school staff members already go through to try to make the most of the limited time for education we already have in our schools today, without even considering the presence of cell phones. There are many problems that come from the inappropriate use of cell phones in schools that it takes being in the schools regularly to really understand & see the magnitude of a disruptive impact the have on an already challenging educational process. Although they have been told by their parents regularly, students continually take out phones at the wrong times to take pictures with them, show them to friends, send text messages to other students in other classes, and make calls when they incorrectly judge something minor to be an "emergency"!  I've also had to deal with situations where students after a fight have called friends from other schools to inappropriately settle matters after school, and this has resulted in many after-school riots that have required City Police intervention and multiple arrests.  Lastly, cell phones are almost always the integral link in schools used by the criminals who would deal drugs to your children, and allowing them makes the dealers job of distribution so much easier!
Students have shown that they often aren't capable of correctly assessing what a true emergency is.
Parents have been called up to the school by students who, as young people frequently do, overreact to a  minor problem and compound it by thinking that staff & administration has mistreated the student, or violated their rights!
I haven't yet seen a school office that won't respond to a true student emergency, but parents can't assume that they know how their children will always react, because children often act very differently away from their parents and in the presence of their peers.  Allowing students to have phones in school is a big mistake, because too many can't handle the responsibility that goes with it!          

Why don't we quit with the age discrimination.  How many people need cell phones at all?  If your time is so occupied that you must talk to someone during your drive, you have issues.  If you cannot arrange a meeting place to find your husband in Wal-Mart, instead of using your cell phone like a walkie-talkie, you have issues.  They are great for car trouble, but maintenance is better.  They are great during an emergency, but often, the many callers overwhelm the service in that area.  So, why don't we quit complaining about the behavior of children until we quit being spoiled and lazy.

Regarding the Dan and Jackie debate above, Dan answered it all when he refused to answer her question"Do you have Kids?". No, obviously Dan doesn't. I'll I have to say is Virginia Tech. Remember that incident. The only means of communication those kids had was to text authorities and parents. Thank God for those cell phones. I believe phones should be turned off during school, But forbidden...NO WAY!!! I want my junior high and college student to have ready access to one should a dangerous situation arise. This is not like the good old "cold war days" where a cell phone would have done absolutely no good anyway. This is the day of psychos invading our schools and shooting our children. It's a safety issue. They NEED TO carry them!!!! Don't be an old codger Dan, face the facts...life ain't allpretty anymore. Any link our kids have to the cops and to their parents is essential.

Teachers should not be harrassed by students. In our school system we had corporal punishment, It taught you not to step out of line, always bring your homework with you and always do your homework. Teachers are there to teach, not police. I remember one occassion where we as a class decided to all not do our homework, all 40 of us in the french class. The teacher usd the cane on all 40 of us, it never happened again.

Thankfully I am not a teacher, for I have old fashioned ideas. Men should open doors for ladies, children should give up seats to their elders etc..

The school and the teachers should proscute children and their parents to the full extent of the law if personal privacy laws are broken, after all the parent is legally responsable for the actions of the child until the child is an adult, or am I wrong here...

Yes I am a parent, I have 2 children one who is mostly responable with her phone and one who can't remember where it is from one minute to the next, including when it is in his pocket when he is swimming.

A useful deterrent for children texting in class would be a bucket of water at the front of the class. If a child is caught texting in class twice, the 3rd time the phone is dropped in the bucket. The child can retrieve it after class, I can promise they won't do it a 4th time.

For parents who think I am mean, I don't care, children have to learn to grow up and be responsible adults. I am an IT Manager for a large company in a US city, personal cell phones are not allowed in the work place, employees are there to work, not chat on the phone, we are not paying them for that. It is the same with our children, they are there to learn, not chat.

I think schools should set standards for phones on their premises, it should be explained to parents during the parent teacher meetings and should have the backing of the PTA. No phones with cameras, are allowed on school property, period. Anyone caught with such a phone will have it confiscated and the child will be suspended for 1 week for the first offence, no exceptions.

Parents may not like it, but as in the office place, the children are there to learn, the parents are not, supposedly they have already done their learning. If a parent does not like, tell them to sue, schools are about rules, and keeping them, not about our childrens rights, they can have those at home, with their parents.

My children have no rights, as I have explained to them many times. They can have rights when they leave home and live on their own. My home, my rules, like it or leave. They are still there, so I guess they like it.

Blah, blah , blah....You people complaining about spoiled kids and lack of control at home and how that pertains to cell phone use is just ridiculous. Once a kid learns how to use a cell phone responsibly and for emergencies, it's time to buy them one. When "true emergencies" happen at school, I'm sorry, but it is impossible to get through to the school. Their lines are jammed with calls . This happened twice while my son was in high school. Once when someone was spotted with a weapon and the school went on "lockdown" and once when there was a tornado. My son is a very RESPONSIBLE kid. HE has NEVER in his 12 years of school recieved so much as a warning from a teacher. There is nothing wrong with the way he's being raised. We counted on that cell phone more than once during his high school years because he had been turned away from the office and not allowed to use the phone when he was sick and vomiting. The problem lies mainly with the teachers. If kids are using them to cheat on tests, I've got a no brainer for all you "brilliant teachers". Collect them, before all tests and pass them back after class. Oh, boo-hoo, it'll take two extra minutes out of your day ! WE parents pay you extremely well...certainly in our schooldistrict (204) in Suburban Chicago. Get over it.
There have always been troublemakers and there have always been respectful kids. You're supposed to be trained to deal with both. If you can't, that's what deans and principles are for. Quit your whining and realize that these nasty cell phones may just save your life one day!!!!! My Son will not go off to college without one and my younger son will have one by the time he's in junior high. That's life in the time of Colombine, Virginis Tech and the Amish schoolhouse. Maybe if some of those innocent girls had a phone at the Amish school they could have texted a police officer and authorities could have saved more lives.

The nuts don't fall far from the tree... some of the cell phone calls in my class are from parents... all are non-emergency.
"I thought it was inbetween classes" as I listen to them on the confiscated phone.
I also don't like my classroom videos on youtube.
Pros and Cons, yes, but the Cons clearly outweigh!

At the end of last school year, a student brought a loaded hand gun to my daughter's high school.  The media began reporting that a student was in the school with a gun when local, county and state law enforcement were called to the scene.  The school was placed on lockdown and even though some parents rushed to the scene, they were kept nearly a half block from the school and given no information.  The school offices were not answering any phone calls and the only way I was finally able to determine my daughter was safe was through text messaging.

The possession/use of cell phones in a school is an issue that will continue to be debated for quite a while and I see relevance to both sides of the argument.  However, as with anything in life, misuse or abuse of a privilege should cause the loss of that privilege and other consequences.  Because some students fail to follow the rules is not a good reason for the students who do follow the rules to also suffer the consequences.

It will not be easy to reach a fair consensus on this issue.  However, on that June morning earlier this year, I was very glad my daughter's school had not banned cell phones on the school campus.    

I belive that kids should be allowed cell phones in school in case of an emergency. I also believe that during school the cell phone should be turned off and in the childs locker. If there is an emergency during school the child should go directly to a teacher, or other responsible adult. If a child needs to contact a parent during school hours, he/she should go the the office or use a payphone inside the school. Cell phones should only be used after school for contacting parents about transportaion or any other questions or concerns.

There is one company that I am aware of - Disney - that has phones where you can actually set the time your child's phone can and can not be used. I believe you can also program and lock in only the numbers that you want your child to be able to call and receive calls from. I also believe you can choose phones that do not have cameras. If cameras in the classroom are a concern for you or your school, but you still want your child to be able to contact you after school for transportation changes - this may be a good choice.
I also think an option school districts may want to consider is a jamming device for the schools. This would prevent many headaches for the administrators and teachers. The students would be able to use their phones outside the school itself to call their parents and friends before and after school. However, this would mean quite an expense for the school district, which would mean a new school bond = higher taxes!
I taught elementary school for 20 years. The last 5 years, our school district has allowed even elementary students to bring cell phones to school as long as they are turned off and kept in their backpacks during the day. Of course, during that type of a smaller, controlled environment, it was easy to manage. However, I have no idea how the middle and high school teachers handle it!
My high school daughter has had her cell phone taken away because the phone bill has shown us how irresponsible she has been with it at school. Then she started borrowing her friends phones to call me if she had fogotten something and wanted me to bring it to the office. I stopped answering the phone if it was a cell I didn't recognize. Now, if she wants to talk to me during school hours, she has to get a teacher's permission to use their classroom phone. THAT I will answer!

I am a former High School and Jr. High teacher.  I have done quite a bit of substitute teaching at the Middle and High School level.  I can tell you, with absolutely no hesitation, that students are texting their entire class periods. No, it is not only when they have a substitute.  Text messaging is an epidemic. I'm sorry to tell you this, but if you think students are not texting while teaching in the room is occuring, you're wrong. Parents, if you text your student during class time, whether you feel it is necessary or not, it is still a distraction to their education. You are not doing your child a service by allowing text messaging to go on during the school day.  Please take time to realistically evaluate whether your message really needs to get to the student during class time. If you have an actual emergency, the school staff will go out of its way to get the message to your kid!  Teenagers and young adults are now so used to texting all the time that they're doing it while driving!  Here in PHX, a 18 year old girl was about to begin her new life in college.  She was texting while driving, crossed the center line, hit a woman driving towards her, and both died.  Two families lives are now shattered.  Please reconsider your decision to allow text messaging to be such a huge part of your children's lives!

Cat, Scottsdale, the FTC mandated years ago that ALL cellphones have location capability. Typically this is not done with GPS, but rather by signal triangulation within three towers, though many do it with GPS now as well. You can do it yourself for free. Go here.
http://www.sat-gps-locate.com/english/index.html

It's me - The Concerned parent from Winfield Illinois, CUSD 200 - Wheaton, Illinois schools.  

My  child was in a Tornado, on a School Bus, last Thursday - with her Cell Phone, which is always kept in her backpack.

Number 1 - She wouldn't have been on that bus during the storm, if the "Brilliant PHD Principal" at the middle school didn't dismiss school 10 minutes early to try and "beat the storm".

Number 2 - I found my daughter blocks from our house, walking toward home, because the "brilliant" Laidlaw Bus Company dropped our children off at an un-authorized bus stop becuase there were trees and power lines down, and the bus driver told the children they were safer walking home, than staying on the bus.  

My daughter, with her cell phone, was able to tell me where she was, and I was able to pick her up, after the storm was over.  

My child knows that Cell phones are not allowed to be used during class, or in school. She has never abused that privelege.  She knows it's for emergency uses only.  Tornado's rank up there in my book for Emergency Use.

By the way - the Schools had no phones, due to NO POWER, for 3 days.  In no way shape or form, were the parents advised that our kids were being let out of school 10 minutes early.  The children should have been taken care of by our school teachers and administrators, and should have been sheltered by the storm in the secure, reinforced concrete structure (i.e.) the School.  

Both my children will be well equipped with a cell phone in the future, because their safety is number one with me.  

It's so obvious our school district just didn't care.

I think that kids are going to have them on them even if that's the rule.  At my school, you can have them on grounds but only if they are in your care or locker.  Still, kids carry them in their pockets as a saftey or even emergency's.  Yes you can use the office phone but you might not be near the office when a tornado hits or you become in danger.

My kids don't leave the house without their cell phones and that's my rule.  People who think the times haven't changed since we grew up in the 60's and 70's are blind.  Parents and children need to have cell phones so a line of communication is always available.  It's up to parents to enforce rules as to the usage of the phones.

This topic makes me more convinced than ever that my husband and I are right to homeschool our children.  They are 12 and 7 and we never have to worry about how dangerous their school might be, or whether their activities will change or how to "find" them, and they never have to worry about where we are or how to find us.  We know their friends and their friends' parents, and we all know how to contact each other if necessary.  

If the world is so busy, and schools so dangerous, that children living the lives of busy executives or athletes "must" have cell phones to be safe, we will continue to choose keeping our children in a less-busy, less-dangerous world -- that of OUR choosing.

Many of the comments here misunderstand the issue. No one is supporting the use of cell phones in schools. The issue is students having them to use before and after school. School systems that have banned possession of cell phones (even in lockers), as they have in New York City, have effectively banned students from having them, even if they have an hour's commute each way on the subway, if there are no pay phones in or around the school, if parents are not home, etc.

Many people look back to the days when we were in school when there were no cell phones. Well, years ago, most students had the stereotypical moms who didn't work, who had the milk and cookies waiting. They didn't travel on their own on public transportation at an early age. (In New York City, many 11-year-olds do not attend a local school.) I won't argue whether times are or aren't worse today, although for me, the experience of having a child evacuated from school (and left to fend for herself in unfamiliar streets) a few blocks from Ground Zero cemented my opinion on the necessity for cell phones in case of emergencies.

But please get the issue right. Times HAVE changed, and there is a greter need for communication BEFORE and AFTER school.

Just wanted to ask those who suggest here that kids should use a pay phone to go find one. They have disappeared off the landscape, so to speak, and I think you would be hard pressed to find one in local high school as well. Personally, I'm glad my teenage son has one as a new driver and to let me know when to pick him up at school because the time changes every day. I do think that kids cannot learn to use cell phones and other technology resposibly unless they are allowed to have them and then are made by schools and parents to follow the rules. Goodness only knows that there are very few good role models when it comes to cell phones for example. I was almost hit yesterday by a young Mom chatting away on her cell phone with a young baby in the back seat of her car. You have to wonder what that kid will think she or he can do with a cell phone when he or she gets old enough to have one.

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