NO CELL PHONES visible in middle schools - new policy attached as PDF.
Monday night, the District 56 Board of Trustees will consider a policy change designed to take cell phones out the hands of middle school students during the day. The board meeting will be at 7:30 pm in the Clinton High School auditorium, and it is open to the public. Anyone wishing to talk to the board under public comments must contact the district in advance.
Superintendent Dr. David O'Shields said phones are causing too great a distraction at the middle school level to be allowed visible during the school day. The problems is not as acute in the high school, he said. Presently, high school and middle school students have prescribed times when phones are allowed - the new policy will mandate that phones at the middle and elementary levels be silenced and not visible during the school day.
Students are not allowed to film each other or teachers/administrators in classrooms - teachers can waive the no visible phones in class rule if a standards-based lesson plan calls for the phones to be used. There is a provision for medical reasons for cell phone usage, at the principal's discretion.
The School Board's agenda and meeting packet is attached to this article inPDF format.
