What do you think about the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and Public Charter Schools (DCPCS) cellphone ban?
Hilary Daniel, Northeast D.C.
“I have mixed emotions because it doesn’t directly impact my daughter THIS year, but I don’t think it’s going to curb whatever they’re expecting to curb. Children will still get into things, they’ll still find ways to get distracted, they’ll still find their ways to cyberbully. The downfall of it — children won’t be able to get help in case of emergencies, and in the current climate, I think it’s that much more necessary for communication tools to be readily available.”
Joy Lawson, Laurel, Md.
“As an educator, I think for educational purposes it is needed. Cellphones can be a distraction during the school day and in class. In case of an emergency the staff and administration will be able to make the necessary contact.”
Dionne McDonald, Northeast D.C.
“At my daughter’s school, which is a DCPCS, she has to turn hers in in the morning. I’m not mad at the enforcement. But of course, the go-to question is ‘what if something happens and my kid needs to reach me?’ I understand, and maybe there’s a way to resolve that isolated concern, but generally speaking, kids are on their phones, talking to their friends, plotting to meet up in the bathrooms, plotting fights, cyber bullying, recording other students without consent, and adding another layer of stress to the teachers who already don’t get paid enough. It’s a major distraction in the classroom.”
Kierell Green, Northeast D.C.
“In today’s environment, I think that students do need access to a cellphone. On the same hand, I think that it might serve them better to not have cellphones during class and school.”
Compiled by Micha Green