By Laly Bustamante,
Staff Writer.
Santa Rosa High School’s phone policy has seen many changes in the past year. Around campus, staff members have been harsher in regards to following the policy and many teachers have chosen to implement changes within their own classrooms. Our school has a history of problems regarding its students’ phone usage and adults are desperate to find a remedy.
This year, the policy is substantially lighter and more realistic than what was proposed last year while still holding students responsible. In classrooms, generally students either put their phones in caddies or are required to keep them in their backpacks. If they are caught on their phones during class time, they earn their first strike.
For the first strike, the phone is confiscated by a teacher until the end of the class period. The second time it gets taken away, teachers report it to the office and have students pick it up by the end of the day. By the third strike, teachers take away the phone and report it to the office, just like strike two; however, instead of students picking up their phone by the end of the day their parent or guardian is required to go to the school and pick it up for them.
But why is the policy so heavily enforced? Why is it even necessary? The purpose of this phone policy is to help students understand that education is more important than being on a phone all day. “I like the idea of the new policy because it has reduced student distraction and increased interaction,” said English teacher Ben Staten.
However, some students aren’t so happy about the changes to the phone policy. Many believe that the school should be less strict and let students use their phones freely. “Honestly, it got more strict,” said senior Harmony Boyd-Snee about the policy. “I feel that in past years, teachers cared less about phones because administration wasn’t as strict on the teachers.”
With this updated policy on campus, people tend to have varying opinions and ideas of how they would make it less strict. “I would change the fact that teachers get reprimanded, and lighten up the policy on older high school students because they’re almost grown and can make choices for themselves,” said Boyd-Snee.
However, many teachers believe that the policy is a good addition to daily life. It helps students engage in the classroom and become more prepared for the future, when they graduate. “If I were to change it, I would make the policy stricter and would try to get students to put it in the locker for more interaction in the school and reduce more temptation of the phone,” said Staten.
Many people around campus are upset about this policy and have different opinions on how they can switch things around in order to not make it as serious as it is now. Teachers explain its positives, students point out its negatives. However, no matter your opinion, it’s important to follow the rules set out by our teachers and administration or else your beloved device will find its entrapment in a caddie or the office.
