Richmond parents react to potential disciplinary rules for student cell phone use
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Parents are speaking out on how Richmond Public Schools is planning to enforce its new cell phone policy. During a scheduled meeting on Monday, Dec. 2, school board members discussed a tiered approach to disciplining students who do not comply: First offense: A verbal warning and documentation by school staff. Second offense: A written warning, parental/caregiver content and the potential temporary confiscation of the involved device. This may require caregiver pick-up, depending on the severity of the offense. Third offense: Disciplinary action, such as restorative room assignment for a class period or for the day, or an out-of-school suspension, depending on the severity or frequency of violations. Their deliberations stem from an executive order issued by Gov. Glenn Youngkin requiring schools to adopt cell phone-related regulations. On Nov. 11, the school board’s technology-related policy was amended to include cell phone-related points and thusly renamed to the “Acceptable Technology and Cell Phone Use Policy.” Parent Lauren Methena said she is on board with these disciplinary actions. An emergency with her daughter last school year gave her more reason to believe her child is in good hands, even without a phone. “I have a daughter with food allergies,” Methena said. "I was called by the school. I did end up having to take my daughter to the E.R. -- she turned out to be fine. Everything was good. But the point is that the procedures in place work." On the other hand, mother of five Tisha Erby is still skeptical of some aspects of the policy's punishments. “As a parent [of] multiple children, I feel like each individual school should have had some personal community conversations about this,” Erby said. “Instead of just saying, ‘Hey, this is a set stone -- this is what we’re dealing with and this is what we're going to do.’” Erby also feels parents should be involved in addressing violations from the start. “I feel like the first attempt should be to call the parent, because the parent should know and be held accountable,” Erby said. The cell phone policy includes exceptions for medical or emotional needs, so long as proper documentation is submitted and approved. As a reminder, this is a bell-to-bell policy -- so from the first bell of the day to the last, phones must be out of sight.
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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Parents are speaking out on how Richmond Public Schools is planning to enforce its new cell phone policy.
During a scheduled meeting on Monday, Dec. 2, school board members discussed a tiered approach to disciplining students who do not comply:
- First offense: A verbal warning and documentation by school staff.
- Second offense: A written warning, parental/caregiver content and the potential temporary confiscation of the involved device. This may require caregiver pick-up, depending on the severity of the offense.
- Third offense: Disciplinary action, such as restorative room assignment for a class period or for the day, or an out-of-school suspension, depending on the severity or frequency of violations.
Their deliberations stem from an executive order issued by Gov. Glenn Youngkin requiring schools to adopt cell phone-related regulations.
On Nov. 11, the school board’s technology-related policy was amended to include cell phone-related points and thusly renamed to the “Acceptable Technology and Cell Phone Use Policy.”
Parent Lauren Methena said she is on board with these disciplinary actions. An emergency with her daughter last school year gave her more reason to believe her child is in good hands, even without a phone.
“I have a daughter with food allergies,” Methena said. "I was called by the school. I did end up having to take my daughter to the E.R. -- she turned out to be fine. Everything was good. But the point is that the procedures in place work."
On the other hand, mother of five Tisha Erby is still skeptical of some aspects of the policy's punishments.
“As a parent [of] multiple children, I feel like each individual school should have had some personal community conversations about this,” Erby said. “Instead of just saying, ‘Hey, this is a set stone -- this is what we’re dealing with and this is what we're going to do.’”
Erby also feels parents should be involved in addressing violations from the start.
“I feel like the first attempt should be to call the parent, because the parent should know and be held accountable,” Erby said.
The cell phone policy includes exceptions for medical or emotional needs, so long as proper documentation is submitted and approved.
As a reminder, this is a bell-to-bell policy -- so from the first bell of the day to the last, phones must be out of sight.
