Franklin Regional curriculum committee to examine student cellphone policy

Some Franklin Regional school board members think the district should reexamine its current policy on student cellphone use.

“Our current policy allows teachers to make their own decisions, and I just thought it was worth throwing out there,” said board member Deb Bucciero. “There’s all different kinds of research about whether having your cellphone in school is a good or bad thing. I wonder if it’s worth creating a survey to ask, are you happy as teachers, as parents, with the current policy?”

Bucciero pointed to the Penn Hills and Pittsburgh Public school districts, which restrict student phone use during the school day.

“I think that may be something that’s coming down the line for all of us, and so I think we should take a look at whether we’re happy with our policy,” she said.

Board member Scott Weinman said one of his two children brings a phone to school.

“I kind of lean on parent choice and teacher management in the classroom,” he said. “My job as a parent is to decide whether Addie and Gavin have a phone. Gavin doesn’t have one. But I’m happy my other child does, in case she has a problem, or forgets something, or if there’s something she needs.

“With that said, I don’t want my daughter sitting there on her phone during class,” Weinman said. “From what she’s told me, teachers handle it pretty well.”

There is a growing body of academic research showing a correlation between excessive cellphone usage and a reduction in academic performance, but many of those studies are focused more on college-age students.

“We don’t know if it’s an issue,” said board member Traci Eshelman Ramey. “The research is conflicting, and the research also doesn’t tell us what’s happening here in our own schools. We hear about it on the street. But we don’t know: Are there teachers who want cellphones to go away? Are there teachers who are really embracing technology and using phones effectively in class? I’d like to know.”

Board member Joshua Zebrak said he doesn’t see a need for students to have their phones during class.

“I’d rather make it so teachers aren’t the ones who have to make that call, and kids don’t have to remember who does and who doesn’t allow them to bring a phone,” Zebrak said. “If you have a free period or you’re not in class, that’s one thing. Not having it in class doesn’t mean taking it away from students. But when you’re in the classroom, you should follow the etiquette that’s expected.”

Board member Mark Kozlosky said the district didn’t need to update any policies in order to make that happen.

“There should never be an expectation that kids are just playing on their phones in a class,” Kozlosky said. “But I don’t think there’s an extra step the board has to take in order to set that standard.”

Zebrak said students are already equipped with laptop computers.

“In my world, in the classroom, you don’t need a cellphone,” he said. “A cellphone is a personal item.”

Kozlosky suggested an approach emphasizing to teachers that cellphone use in the classroom is at their discretion.

“If it’s a distraction, if it’s disrupting their learning environment, there’s no board action needed to address that — our teachers already have that discretion. And if I, as a parent, determine my child can’t socially or emotionally handle a cellphone, I can make the decision for them to not have one.”

Board President Kevin Kurimsky opted to have the district’s curriculum committee look into the issue.

“I think it’s something that’s worth getting teachers and parents involved if we discover it’s a problem,” Kurimsky said. “But I think we should be deliberate and cautious in how we gather data and move forward. cellphones aren’t going away, and they’re becoming more and more of a tool in everyday life.”