phone policy – AHS NEWSPAPER

EDITORIAL: AHS Phone Policy Teaches Compliance, Not Responsibility

October 7, 2024

There’s a new phone policy at AHS, and you’ve probably noticed it. Our phones go into what one might call a “phone jail”—those numbered slots where our devices are locked up during class, sometimes with an actual lock and key. The rationale is clear: no phones in class, no distractions. But let’s ask the question: why have we gone to such extremes?

We at ANDOVERVIEW strongly believe that class time is for learning, and phones can be and have been a major distraction. The administration has had enough of our glowing faces, aglow not from intellectual enlightenment, but from under brightly lit phone screens. Our teachers are concerned about our development; it is not that it gives them pleasure to deprive us of our hypnotic devices. But does locking up our phones, as if they’re dangerous contraband, teach us the right lesson?

This is high school. We’re constantly being told to act maturely and take responsibility for our actions. Some of us are already 18—legally adults—yet we’re treated as though we can’t be trusted with even the smallest responsibility. By removing the temptation completely, the administration is not teaching us how to manage it. It is just kicking the can down the road. Very soon, many of us will be heading off to college or entering the workforce. In those environments, policies like this one don’t exist. There won’t be phone jails. No one will force us to lock up our devices. It is up to us to learn to make responsible choices.

The phone policy creates a false sense of order. It’s easy for students to follow the rules because we don’t have a choice. But the moment the structure is gone, those who never learned self-discipline may be the first to revert to bad habits. What if, instead, we were trusted with our phones? If someone is caught using their phone during class, they face immediate consequences, as well as potentially being singled out for phone jail—with no parole—for the rest of the year. This is about accountability. We learn by making mistakes and facing consequences. If we’re shielded from making mistakes in the first place, we’ll never learn.

The new phone policy does enforce compliance with rules, but one should remember that we are expected to follow rules, even without heavy-handed enforcement. We need to be treated like the almost-adults that we are. It’s time to trust us to learn from our choices, not lock them away.

Articles Community

New Policy, New Opinions

December 6, 2023

By Saarvi Deshwal
Staff Writer

The new phone policy at AHS has sparked mixed feelings in teachers and students alike. While some say it promotes a more focused classroom environment, others argue that it disrupts their ability to communicate with friends and classmates.

With rising concerns that students were being distracted by their devices and not learning to their full potential, the policy was established by a group of teachers, parents, administrators, and the former principal, Caitlin Brown, last year. The hope was that students would be able to put aside their cell phones during class time and would engage in learning.

“We also want students to be freed from some of the pressures of social media and interacting with their friends when they’re learning,” said Assistant Principal Scott Darlington. “When they have the phone away, they can’t see it, they can’t hear it, [and so] they’re not pressured to have to respond to all the social media.”

Teachers and students are seeing changes in the environment in classrooms. In previous years, “the cell phone policy was more lax,” said Latin teacher Jiyoung Song. Before the policy was enforced, Song didn’t make students put away their phones during class times. Now, “it is different. Not so much in the types of activities we do or the way they interact with each other, but I think it just fosters a more focused learning environment.”

When the policy was first introduced, “I was pretty upset,” commented sophomore Julia Coviello. “But I get it, though. You shouldn’t be able to have your phone out in class, but for H-blocks? I feel like that’s drawing the line a bit.” Many students are complaining about their teachers enforcing the phone policy, especially in H-blocks. While it is a time to study and catch up on homework, students are responsible for how they spend their time.

Sophomore Anika Nagle agrees, deeming that the phone policy “has not made a difference whatsoever.” She adds that “[the] real impact the policy has had is during h-blocks, and it turned out to be really ineffective. Students sometimes need their phone either to contact a classmate about a project they’re working on together or to submit assignments and when it’s taken away, they can’t do that.”

Alternatively, however, sophomore Meghna SinghJoglekar thinks that the phone policy has had a positive impact on the learning environment in classrooms at AHS. “Honestly, I think that it’s a good idea to have a policy because, otherwise, I think it’s hard for people to control their urge to go on their phones [during class],” she said.

Andover High School applied for and got a grant through the state of Massachusetts to “address student cell phone use in schools,” said Darlington, adding that the school also hopes to provide cubbies for cell phones in every classroom. “We’re trying to see if we can find one that could also charge the phone, so the student could get some benefit from that.” Although it is not promised, Darlington hopes that they will be able to acquire them.

In the end, the phone policy at Andover High School was established in the best interest of the students. “Rather than just giving you what you want, we want to give you what you need,” commented Darlington. “We want to give you what you need, and in this case, we don’t think you have to have your phone with you at all times. [It’s] something you can take a break from and still be okay.”