North Carolina school districts work to adjust cellphone rules and statewide ban
2022. 2024, IF CONVICTED, HE
COULD FACE UP TO 20 YEARS IN
PRISON. I BRIAN, ALL STUDENTS
ACROSS THE STATE WILL HAVE TO
TURN OFF THEIR CELL PHONES AND
PUT THEM AWAY DURING CLASS THIS
SCHOOL YEAR.
>> THAT'S ACCORDING TO A NEW
LAW THAT GOES INTO EFFECT IN
SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE ABOUT 4
MONTHS TO UPDATE THEIR
POLICIES. WRAL'S DISMAY,
PATTERSON FOUND SOME DISTRICTS
STILL HAVE WORK TO DO.
>> AND THAT IS WHEN IT COMES TO
THESE DEVICES. EVERYONE HAS AN
OPINION FROM PARENTS.
EVERYTHING IS ON PHONES THESE
DAYS TO STUDENTS IS QUITE
DIFFICULT TO ABOUT CELL PHONES
TO LAWMAKERS. THIS STATE LAW
REQUIRES PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO
ESTABLISH A POLICY THAT
PROHIBITS STUDENTS FROM, QUOTE,
USING DISPLAYING. WE'RE HAVING
A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE
TURNED ON DURING INSTRUCTIONAL
TIME AND MAKES EXCEPTIONS FOR
EMERGENCIES. TEACHER
PERMISSION, DOCUMENTED MEDICAL
CONDITIONS AND INDIVIDUAL
EDUCATION NEEDS ENFORCE.
MEETING CONSEQUENCES ARE UP TO
THE SCHOOLS. EVERY DISTRICT IN
OUR AREA ALREADY HAS A CELL
PHONE POLICY AND MOST OF THEM
ALREADY EXPLICITLY REQUIRE
STUDENTS TO KEEP THEIR PHONES
AWAY DURING CLASS. MANY OF THEM
WILL NEED TO MAKE MINOR CHANGES
BY THE TIME THEY RETURN FROM
WINTER BREAK. CELL PHONES HAVE
PROVEN TO SOME DEGREE TO BE
BENEFICIAL AND INSTRUCTIONS AND
HELPING STUDENTS STAY ENGAGED.
BUT THEY ALSO, OF COURSE, ARE
MASSIVE TOLL FOR DISENGAGEMENT.
I TALK TO PEOPLE AND DUG
THROUGH MORE THAN 2 DOZEN
DISTRICT POLICIES OVER THE LAST
MONTH ALONGSIDE EDUCATION
REPORTER EMILY WALKING WARS.
>> OF THE DISTRICTS WE HEARD
FROM AT LEAST 10 DISTRICTS IN
OUR AREA TOLD US THEY'VE
UPDATED THEIR POLICIES IN ORDER
TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW LAW OR
PLAN TO SOME COUNTIES LIKE WADE
SAMPSON IN GRANVILLE SAY THEY
DON'T THINK THEY NEED TO MAKE
CHANGES DURHAM SCHOOLS AND
KNOWLEDGE IS THAT THEY'LL NEED
TO UPDATE LANGUAGE IN THEIR
POLICIES BUT HAVEN'T BROUGHT
ANY CHANGES TO SCHOOL BOARD
MEMBERS JUST YET. SOME STUDENTS
ARE STILL SKEPTICAL. SPIKE HAS
BEEN ENDO'S A CARA. THERE'S A
LOT OF
>> MIXED EMOTIONS ABOUT IT.
SHE SAYS HER CLASSMATES HAVE
SAFETY CONCERNS. A LOT OF
PEOPLE FELT THAT IT SHOULDN'T
HAVE BEEN A PRIORITY.
>> TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IT
CAUSED A LOT OF COMMOTION AT MY
SCHOOL AND IN SCHOOLS THAT
ALREADY HAVE BELLS ABOUT
RESTRICTIONS. STUDENTS SAY
THEY'RE ALREADY SEEING THE
BENEFITS TO, AS YOU SAY, YOUR
PHONES OUT, WE WRITE YOU UP
TO ADMINISTRATION. THAT IS A
THREAT AND THAT SOMETHING THAT
STUDENTS WILL CARRY ON AND SAY,
OKAY, THEY'RE SERIOUS ABOUT
THIS.
>> AND GENERALLY SEEN LIKE LESS
OF TEACHERS HAVING TO TELL
STUDENTS THAT THEIR PHONES.
WELL, I TELL YOU THE FOCUS IN
CLASS DESTINY, PATTERSON, WRAL,
NEWS.
>> THE NEW CELL PHONE POLICY
REQUIREMENTS MUST BE IN PLACE
BY JANUARY. 1ST.
>> DISTRICTS WILL NEED TO
REPORT THEIR CELL PHONE POLICY
AND ANY CHANGES TO THE STATE.
>> DON'T FORGET, WRAL IS YOUR
BACK-TO-SCHOOL HEADQUARTERS.
YOU'LL FIND AN INTERACTIVE MAP
SHOWING HOW DISTRICTS IN OUR
AREA ARE HANDLING THE NEW CELL
PHONE POLICY ON WRAL DOT COM.
THAT'S ALSO WHERE YOU WILL FIND
GUIDES FOR SAVING ON SCHOOL