As Board Of Ed Listens, Speakers Favor Staples Smartphone Ban

Students don’t know their classmates’ names, because they seldom look up from their phones.

Those phones offer addictive dopamine rushes.

And when students go tech-free, it’s like they’re different people.

Those were some of the sentiments expressed last night, at a special Board of Education meeting. The session, at Coleytown Middle School, was held to hear residents’ thoughts on a proposed smartphone ban at Staples High.

Right now, phones are not supposed to be used during class. The proposal, from superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice, could involve “pouches,” like those at Wilton High. They are locked at the beginning of the school day, and unlocked at the end.

Students handing in phones, to be locked in pouches. (Photo/Allan Jung for Worcester Telegram & Gazette)

The overwhelming majority of speakers favored some sort of ban.

And the vast majority of speakers were adults. Very few students attended.

Moderator Velma Heller — a retired teacher and administrator, and former Representative Town Meeting (RTM) moderator — began by asking attendees if they support a “bell to bell” phone-free high school.

Larry Perlstein, whose daughter is a junior, does not.

“Today’s world is all about devices,” he said. “You can’t survive without it. Kids need to learn how to use it appropriately.” He would, however, support a “phased-in” ban.

But Perlstein proved to be an outlier.

Victoria Marcus has elementary age children. She also teaches high school in Bridgeport. She’s the one whose students don’t know classmates’ names, and said, “bell to bell is my time with students.”

Barrie Rosen — mother of a 7th grader — fully supports the ban, beginning next year. “We have heard from Wilton that it is beneficial,” she said. “It is time for action.”

Susanne Hall Armstrong, who has a junior at Staples, supports the ban. Her older children do too, she said, citing the potential for greater social interactions.

John Schwartz — who called phones “addictive,” with their dopamine rush — said that his daughter’s grades improved when he took her phone away.

Staples High math teacher Maggie Gomez recounted a conversation with a freshman. He looked up from a lunch table, and saw all his friends on phones.

“The ban will only do your children good,” Gomez said.

Some parents cited concerns about the proposed ban. One said that using pouches to lock phones is not a good use of teachers’ time.

Noting that teenagers often find ways around rules, he said, “My kids are going to have a device in the building. Period.”

He added, “as parents, we expect to be able to reach our kids.”

Tracey Brenner, the mother of elementary schoolers, countered, “A phone is not a safety device. It is a parental safety device.”

Nathaniel Martin, whose son is an 8th grader, urged the Board of Education to analyze the history of phone use. “We need excellent evidence as to why they should have phones,” he said.

Board of Ed members listened to all sides. They’ll render a decision later.

As the meeting ended, parents texted their spouses to say they’d be home soon.

Their children were already home, studying.

And perhaps on their phones.

(Reporting by “06880” intern Katherine Phelps)