With the new schedule and policies, opinions have been all over the place. When the Board of Ed announced this new policy it created outrage. Rightfully so, it caused concerns among both parents and students. 

The Truth Behind the Cellphone Policy points out that the schedule’s period is only an eight minute difference from last year, so it’s not that bad. However, the reason why there is backlash against it is because we don’t have access to our cellphones. In between the 86 minute class periods, teachers gave students a small break. After listening to your teacher speak for an hour straight, a seven minute break won’t ruin the lesson. As NIU’s Huskie Academic Success Center states, “Taking effective breaks can help to reduce your stress levels so that you’re ready to re-focus when you return to your work.” 

Even when we finish our work early, are we supposed to count the tiles in the ceiling? Or distract our peers that possibly didn’t finish. It seems too extreme. Another extremity is the school shootings that America has been experiencing right now. The current rule while there’s a lockdown is to leave our phones in the caddy. In other words, we can’t use them at all. In case of an emergency, I would want to notify my loved ones. I’m not saying that I feel unsafe at Stamford High, but at this rate, nobody wants to take any chances. Our phones help us stay connected.

Cell Phones help us with so much more than administrators really believe. The school provides us with a Chromebook that has limited access to helpful resources. Yes, we have our Google products and other software, but everything else is unnecessarily blocked. Why can I watch Netflix, but not research specific topics for my English class article?

I understand the need to block certain things for safety measures. However, a couple of my teachers don’t match my learning style, leading me to resort to alternative resources on my phone to teach me. However, I am unable to access these resources on the Chromebook. 

Additionally, Macbook users have advantages that Chromebook users do not (for example, apple devices have access to text messaging). This creates inequality within the student body. I hear constant complaints from my classmates about how slow and frustrating the computers are. This is why students tend to use their phones, for quick easy access to information. 

Long story short, while some things about having a cellphone policy make sense, the one enforced by Stamford Public Schools needs more flexibility. This policy seems too extreme to keep the school a safe and respectable environment.