I’ll never forget junior year. My friend Thad and I somehow were able to get our hands on beepers. There was also a payphone at the school and one would leave class, go to that phone and beep the other. Then vice-versa. We were very important. The beeper would go off and we’d get looks from the class and the teacher, we’d shut it off, announce that it was important and we’d leave to go tend to the important business at hand. Yes, we were the 1983 version of the modern-day cell phone distraction.
Fast-forward to today. Beepers are long-gone and cell phones dominate our lives. They’re all but standard issue from the age of 8 these days. They keep us connected with our loved ones, jobs, friends, pizza places, etc. They also distract meetings, movies, meals and CLASSROOMS. In Texas, ISDs can levy fines on students who are using their phones on campus. I agree — to a point.
Recently it was revealed that the not-too-strapped-for-cash Klein Independent School District has been charging $15.oo per instance for students to get their cell phones back after being confiscated. You’re thinking, “good, that’ll teach the students to stop doing that.” Not so fast. Take a guess at how much the ISD has collected from those fees over the past two years. Go on — Guess! Okay, I’ll tell you: $100,948! (don’t ask me how educators came up with that number which clearly is NOT divisible by 15.00) That’s highway robbery.
Now, the program is being touted as a new revenue stream for ISDs. Huh? I thought the idea was to stop the kids from being distracted or distracting due to cell phones. Now, it sounds like the idea is to add to the district’s income. Therein lies the rub. Does the ISD really want our kids to stop bringing and using cell phones? Or, will it, in no time flat, start planning on said income and include it in the budget. So, where’s the bigger benefit? Fewer distracted students.. and interruptions.. or more cash for the schools? I don’t like the answer I’m coming up with.
Here’s what I propose we do throughout the state: charge $5.00 for the first violation.. on the second one, call mom and dad. Shoot, if you really want to stop the usage of cell phones in classrooms, call mom and dad the FIRST time. That would have worked for me.
The way it stands, the practice is reminiscent of speeding fines, or red light camera fines. In each case, some entity profits by people continuing to behave contrary to the rules. I could argue strongly that municipalities for speeding and the private company for redlight cameras truly don’t want drivers to stop running red lights and speeding. It would mean a loss of too much money. I fear the same applies to ISDs like Klein.
Thoughts?