Last spring as soon as the bell rang to end class, most students grabbed their phones and looked on social media, but as the 2024-2025 school year kicks off it is very different. With the new phone policy students can not have their phones at all except during lunch and after school. This causes mixed opinions between students and teachers about the new policy.
The original cell phone policy (NH Board Of Education Policy #6500) was passed on July 7, 2009. The Dean of Students, Mr. Matthew Romanow remembers teachers talking about what the impact of smartphones may be in classrooms when he was a student at New Hartford at that time..
Interestingly, Mr. Romanow says, “the discussion in 2008 was very similar to the discussion now. The cell phone policy adopted by the board at that time was an attempt to limit student access to phones and other wireless communication devices. The policy went through several revisions in 2010 and 2024, with the most recent revision resulting in a change to the “penalties” section.”
Since the policy has been enforced more strictly this year many students and teachers have had mixed reactions to the new phone policy.
Mr Ryan, an English teacher at the high school, had a lot to say about the phone policy.
“I am very happy with the new phone policy. Since the new phone policy I’ve seen many kids interacting with each other instead of pulling out their phones immediately. I also saw some kid ask another kid out on a date which I haven’t seen in 15 years,” he said.
Mr. Ryan can understand why students are unhappy with the ban on cell phones during study hall. He says,”…He says not so confidently,’’ I honestly don’t know if allowing phones during study hall would be a good idea because if I had to pick, I would agree with the current policy that students should not have their phones in study hall.”
On the other hand I talked to Jermaine Burton, a senior at the high school and asked some questions; he does not agree with Mr Ryan. Jermaine hates the phone policy for many reasons.
“First, students should be allowed to have their phone in the study hall because when there is nothing to do you should be able to go on it,” Jermaine argues. “Also if your phone rings during class, teachers should just keep it until the end of the block– not the whole day.”
Although Jermaine and Mr. Ryan have good arguments here’s what really should happen.
I think the phone policy should be a little more lenient towards students. The first time you get caught with your phone it should be a warning from the teacher–instead of having to turn it into the office until the end of the day. Also the teachers shouldn’t be on their phones either because when a student sees a teacher use their phone then the student wants to go on it. Another suggestion I have is that students should be able to use phones in study halls. I think phones should be allowed in study halls because some people just want to chill and listen to music. In addition, most students aren’t doing their homework for an hour and thirty minutes so they should be able to go on their phones when they are bored.
