As Danville High School gets ready to begin a new school year on Thursday, August 14th; the $74,000 question will be “What about the new cell phone policy?” District 118 has purchased cell phone lock pouches, from a company called Yondr, for during the school day for both Danville High School and North Ridge Middle School students. DHS principal Jacob Bretz says each student will be assigned their own pouch, like they are assigned their own Chromebooks laptop device.
Bretz says no matter how flexible teachers tried to be, cell phones had simply become too much of a distraction.
AUDIO: Teachers did like to allow students to use them; like during individual – silent work time. And we were just running into the constant battle that, that temptation of that phone being accessible in the pocket; wondering, “Do I have a message?” Feeling the notifications go off, and the urge to check them.
Now, when the students arrive at school, they will be required to lock their phones into the pouches at an entrance checkpoint. Then, when they leave, they will place their phones up against a magnetic device that will allow the pouch to be unlocked. Bretz says this policy is here to stay, despite what some students, or even parents, might be thinking; that the whole thing will fade away. Bretz says “no way” on that. DHS will be cell phone free from 8 to 3, and students will be more engaged with their teachers.
(1st Picture) Unopened Yondr cell phone lock pouches waiting to be assigned to students. (2nd Picture) One of the mounted on the wall Yondr magnetic devices where students will unlock their phone patches as the end of the school day.
AUDIO: Part of the battle is just going to be the consistency of it. And showing over time, that we are serious about it. But also doing it in a way that is believable to the parents and the students; that we are doing this from a position of care.
Bretz says he knows there will be students who will try to get creative and get around this. He says there will be random checks making sure phones are locked up properly; and that when violations are found, they will be handled consistently.
AUDIO: It is confiscated, and the parent has to pick it up. Those parents will be angry, because really what it’s doing is the consequence structure’s going to inconvenience the adults. And so, yes, they’re going to be frustrated with their child, they’re going to be frustrated with the school; and those conversations aren’t fun to have.
Bretz, entering his third year as principal, expects about 12 to 13 hundred total students at Danville High School this year; but with a larger freshman class than recent years, perhaps around 400. The first day of school, Thursday the 14th, will be a one hour early dismissal; with the parents meeting at 6 PM that night. The cell phone policy goes into full effect on Monday the 18th.
