Cell phone use at school goes widely unpunished

Following the recent approval of a bill that allows MCPS high school students to bring cell phones to school, many Blair students report that they have used their phones during restricted hours without incurring punishment.

Nearly 53 percent of all Blair students own portable communication devices (PCDs), such as cell phones, according to a Silver Chips survey of 100 students given during their English classes. Of those students, 94 percent bring the devices to school.

Although bringing cell phones to school is no longer prohibited, many students have violated the new policy by failing to keep the devices turned off during school hours. The ban on cell phone use begins upon arrival at school and ends at 3:00 p.m.

According to the survey, approximately 72 percent of students who bring their cell phones to school have used their phones during school hours and 30 percent said that their phone has gone off during class. Seventy-six percent of students who admitted to having used their cell phones during prohibited hours said that they were never caught or punished for breaking the rule.

Because few students have been referred to administration for violating the policy, Principal Phillip Gainous was surprised by the survey results, which show that infractions of the policy are widespread. "[The survey] shocks me because we haven't gotten many complaints from teachers," Gainous said.

To make phone calls during the day, many students go to private areas in the school where they hope they will not be caught by staff members. "I've used my cell phone in school, but I go to the bathroom to use it so I won't get in trouble," said sophomore Mai-Quyen Huynh.

Aside from making calls, some students also answer calls made to their cell phones during instructional hours. "I always keep [my phone] on vibrate, and I sometimes answer it during class," said senior Raphael Esparza.

Esparza added that he has gotten away with using his cell phone for more than just making and receiving calls. "We had to define Newton's law in physics class for a test, so I did a Google search on my phone and found the answer from a website. My teacher never found out about it," he said.

If students are caught using their cell phones during instructional hours, their administrators are required to confiscate the phones and ask that parents come pick up the devices. However, Assistant Principal Carole Working said that she has received few referrals for students violating the policy.
In the past, students were forbidden to take phones to school because of the association of PCDs with the drug trade.

With the institution of the new cell phone policy, some believe that widespread drug dealing by students over the phone will cause many problems. According to the survey, seven percent of students know at least one person who uses a cell phone to deal drugs at Blair.