Copyright WDIV ClickOnDetroit
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Parents in Ann Arbor are fed up. They want their kids focused on learning -- not glued to their phones. And they’re going to great lengths to make that change happen. Amiel Handelsman, a parent, said, “I think as parents we have a choice to be silent, to be very angry, or to take a constructive approach and make a request.” From Ann Arbor’s youngest students to the oldest, parents say phone use in schools is spiraling out of control. One parent shared, “My son is in fourth grade and already his little friends are getting cellphones and it’s a distraction in class, it’s a distraction at recess, instead of learning,” one parent shared. Phones aren’t just hurting grades -- they’re taking a toll on students’ mental health too. “You’re constantly thinking, ‘Do I need to check it? Do I need to see what somebody posted? Did someone say something mean about me?’” said Sharon Sorkin. To put a stop to the problem, parents, guardians, and teachers are signing a petition. Right now, there are over 400 signatures requesting that the district institute a ‘first-bell-to-last-bell’ phone-free school policy. Handelsman added, “And here’s the key point. With secure device storage. Teachers tell us that allowing kids to store phones in their backpacks means those phones end up in their pockets and very quickly in their hands.” According to Susan Schmidt, vice president of the Ann Arbor Board of Education, while there are a few exceptions, elementary schools haven’t really seen phone problems yet. In middle schools, the rules are pretty clear -- students must keep phones in their backpacks or lockers. And if they break the rules, staff can take them away. As for high school, Schmidt said, “We’ve got Skyline who did a pilot and has continued with what they found in their pilot worked which is pockets in the classrooms. Pioneer is doing it, but it’s not schoolwide; it’s up to the teacher. Huron, the same thing.” But she says the board welcomes new ideas -- especially when it means building a better future for students. “I do know that phones are a distraction, they are an addiction and the board, I know we’re listening,” Schmidt said. The board is gathering data, listening to everyone involved, and checking with other districts to weigh the pros and cons. Schmidt said this decision takes time -- they want to avoid any problems.
