“School shooting rn,” an Apalachee High School student texted his mother Wednesday morning.
“I’m not joking,” he said, later adding, “someone’s dead.”
The student’s mom posted a screenshot of the exchange on social media, captioning it her “worst (expletive) nightmare” but noting her child was safe. Her son had texted her as the shooting unfolded Wednesday, Sept. 4 — “rn” meaning “right now.”
Two students and two teachers were killed, and others injured, during the attack at the school in Winder, Georgia, by a 14-year-old suspect, according to authorities.
A horrific start to the new school year. And one that raises questions about efforts to ban cell phones in schools.
“I understand the motivation to ban cell phones in classrooms, and I agree with it 100%. When kids are learning, they should not have their phones to distract them,” said Joel Delman, a parent of a high schooler in the Los Angeles Unified School District, which will enact a ban next year.
“But the idea that my son won’t have a way to reach me in an emergency is very scary,” Delman added. “I’m not a helicopter parent, but I want to be able to reach my child.”
Across California, there have been concerted efforts to greatly restrict or outright ban the use of cell phones, particularly smartphones, in schools. The idea, according to proponents, is to limit distractions to learning and curtail harm to mental health.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, in a letter to school leaders last month, encouraged districts to enact restrictions on smartphones on campuses.
“The evidence is clear: reducing phone use in class leads to improved concentration, better academic outcomes and enhanced social interactions,” Newsom said in the letter dated Aug. 13.
“Every classroom should be a place of focus, learning and growth,” he added. “Working together, educators, administrators and parents can create an environment where students are fully engaged in their education, free from the distractions on the phones and pressures of social media.”
A few weeks after that letter, state legislators passed a bill requiring local education agencies to adopt policies that limit or prohibit the use of smartphones while at school. The policy, according to the bill, would need to be updated every five years.
While Newsom has backed restrictions on cell phones in schools, he does not believe students should be prohibited from possessing or using them in the event of an emergency or “in response to a perceived threat of danger,” Elana Ross, a spokesperson for the governor, said Thursday.
The governor does intend to sign that bill, AB 3216, Ross said.
“The current legislation retains that key provision at the urging of the administration to ensure that common sense restrictions do not infringe on the very real need for students and families, and law enforcement, to have every means available to communicate in these horrifying circumstances,” Ross said.
Related Articles
Education |
California teacher …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
