On Tuesday night, the Board of Education held a listening session. The topic was a proposed “bell to bell” smartphone ban at Staples High School. Several speakers referenced the “Ok to Delay” group.
A Staples parent, who has spent many years serving on PTAs and other youth-oriented boards, is concerned with the tone that group has tken.
She worries that the movement will impact her younger children if her family does not join in, which is why she asked for anonymity. She writes:
The name and educational mission attached to “OK to Delay” is innocuous. It implies that it is “OK” to delay your young children’s technology and social media use.
“OK” in our vernacular typically connotes a personal choice. As an educational resource for parents navigating a technologically advanced society, this mission is admirable. It is supported by many elementary and middle school parents, even those with older teens.
Highlighting the pros and cons, the realities and myths is useful, in light of many findings about technology, and children’s health and safety.
The mission of this organization, based on its own literature and website, is to “protect middle school from smartphones and social media.”
Since Ok to Delay could not achieve its goals at our already phone-free middle schools, the group decided to lobby at the high school level.
Staples parents are typically represented by our PTA, whose executive board made a unanimous recommendation against a bell-to-bell ban at Staples. They cited many valid reasons, which have already been covered on “06880.”
Rather than stating to the high school parents who approached them that the high school is outside of their purview, and that they defer to our own parent organization on this issue, Ok to Delay opted to help wage a battle against the Staples PTA.
Staples High School. (Drone photo/Brandon Malin)
Where has this battle occurred? Ironically, on social media.
Ok to Delay has begun, through its Instagram campaign and anonymous online petition, to label the Staples students as having a crisis they are trying to help solve.
Even their recent Instagram post encouraging parents to come to the townwide meeting to discuss the topic is filled with false impressions of Staples students.
“Want to see our Staples (or future Staples) students focused on learning and socializing while in school. Us too!” As opposed to what?
Staples has a phone-free classroom policy. With some exceptions when teachers do not enforce the ban, Staples students are inside their classrooms learning.
What do Staples students do at lunch or during free periods? They socialize.
“Want to utilize the school day as an opportunity to have 8 less hours of social media and screen time?” This statement is meant to provoke.
It is not, like many things in our time of disinformation, an accurate picture of who the Staples students are.
They do not lack for learning time. And they are certainly not inside their high school for 8 hours glued to social media; they know they don’t have the time.
Staples High School high honors graduates, with principal Stafford Thomas (far right) and vice principal Pat Micinilio (far left).
Is it perfect at Staples? The PTA has stated very clearly there are ways to improve upon the current policy.
Superintendent Scarice let the pot boil over. Without decisive action on his own proposed phone ban, he has opened the door to activism and antagonization.
Worst of all, he has let Staples students be labeled as something they are not.
They are hard workers. They are learners. They are achievers. They apply to esteemed colleges. They win academic honors. They compete for state athletic titles. They put on tremendous musical performances.
They are your babysitters. They are your lifeguards. They work downtown. They are your interns. They pick up your Christmas trees. They bring innumerable hours of community service to our town. via SLOBs and the National Charity League.
They help our elderly and our underserved. They fill our food pantries. They work your birthday parties and your summer sports camps. They are your children’s friends’ siblings.
They aren’t social media addicted zombies. Their phones support many of these pursuits, academic and job-related. Their mental health, according to our own data, is improving.
Staples High School baseball players are role models for younger children …
They drive past your signs and know they are being judged.
And they know that suddenly, through all their work at Staples to become technologically responsible near-adults on the verge of the real world, that their families have prepared them for, our town and many residents within it have suddenly labeled them a “problem.”
High school is hard enough in 2025, without the labeling from other adults.
Be careful with our children, OK to Delay. Don’t create a false narrative about the Staples students to serve your purposes. Don’t stereotype them to get your way.
… and entertain. Staples Players’ spring production was “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” (Photo/Kerry Long)
Educate; don’t agitate.
Consensus is not possible on this issue. The ban very well may take hold.
But caricaturing our kids in your campaign is not far off from the ills of social media you seek to protect your own kids from.
The Staples community must work together to solve the real, not globalized, issues within the high school.
(“06880” Opinion pages are open to all. To submit a piece, email 06880blog@gmail.com)