Tales of NYC School Kids' Cell Phone-less Horror

Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum stepped into the hot debate about cell phones in the schools with e-mails from parents that detail why cell phones are necessary. Here are a few of the stories:

One mother wrote, “I have three children in New York City public schools. As a working single mother, I need to be able to communicate with my children at any given time…Just a week ago, my daughter…was attacked by three students in her school. I tried furiously to reach the school but couldn’t [get] through [because of] the voice prompts. She has a cell phone but can’t take it to school because it will be confiscated. By the time I was able to reach her, she had already been taken to the hospital with a broken arm…If she had been able to call me, I would have known what hospital she was taken to and may have been able to help her get out of the situation.”

According to one mother, “My 13-year-old son was shot with a paintball gun last week…walking home from school and he had no way to call me at home to inform me that he was injured. His only result was to leave the scene of the accident walking home bleeding, hurt, dizzy, disoriented as well as having blurred vision. … The NYPD informed me to try and get him a cell phone! I told them that he had one but could not bring it to school. … our children have the right to have immediate access to their parents!”

One student was assaulted on her way to school, and could have received help sooner if she had been allowed to carry her cell phone. “As I was walking, about a block away from the school a man appeared behind a car…he exposed himself to me…he chased me for about 30 seconds before he gave up. As soon as I went to school I informed my assistant principal about my situation. … Later [the assistant principal] said that another girl had come in five minutes before me with the same story. My assistant principal also said that if I had a cell phone the security guards would have been able to find him because I would have been able to call the school while the incident was happening and help would have been swifter. She also wanted me to have a cell phone so if I saw the man again I would be able to call the police.”

Gotbaum said, "I clearly don’t want students using cell phones during class time, and neither do parents. But in today’s world, the Mayor has got to understand that cell phones are a vital line of communication. My message to the Mayor is simple: Allow principals to decide on a cell phone policy on a school by school basis."

am New York reports that Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott actually "came out to the front of City Hall to discuss the issue with Gotbaum and reporters," saying that the city is "trying to alleviate" the distraction that cell phones bring. We agree with both Gotbaum and Deputy Mayor Walcott, but doubt that students will be able to turn off their phones if allowed to keep them during the day. These stories though, are horrible and there has be to a solution somewhere in the middle. We just don't know what kind of punishment the Department of Education can use to deter cell phone usage during the day.

The cell phone issue has erupted lately because of mandatory weapons security screening at some schools - cell phones and other electronic devices are confiscated along with weapons. But students at schools with less screening usually manage to keep their phones. Gothamist on public school cell phone rules disparity.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on November 15, 2006 12:33 PM

Comments [rss]

TT

Come on everyone- the issue is simple- as we learn new information and as times CHANGE (wake up!), we must tweek the things that we USE to do or not do! It is NOT a convenience to have a cell phone at school, it is a RIGHT! Each and every parent should stand up for their child's safety and make the schools understand that this is something we believe in and feel is necessary. There may be a child here and there who would not benefit from a cell, however, there are many more that would- AND DO! I have a daughter that must come home from school each day and wait for me for at times, up to 2 1/2 hours. Being able to contact her in between practices, the bus stop, and after-school activities is of the utmost importance. You cannot speak in such a naive tone about the 80's- who cares- I was at home alone in those days and it would have eased my mother's mind to be able to contact me when I was in between places. While you talk about how we ever got along without cells, maybe you should remember that you are on the INTERNET, typing on your cool LAPTOP, where most of you SHOP and PAY YOUR BILLS! Give me a break- when it comes to your convenience, you're all for it- but the safety of a child- get it together people- most of you just sound stupid!

y

Have you guys been in an average NYC public school classroom lately? I (used to) spend several hours a week helping a HS teacher with his chemistry class in the LES (and this in a school that was considered 'good') and the kids have no discipline/self control. There were no metal detectors in this school, so lots of them had phones. They were constantly sending each other messages/being disruptive/yelling... etc .. Those of you who think they will just 'turn them off' are really a bit too idealistic.

The idea about putting individual principals in charge is best, some schools just require more rules than others. Let the students EARN the right to carry cell phones.

jack oneil

"Not for nothing, Betsy, but most of these kids get free lunch 'cause mommy can't afford peanut butter. Maybe we should examine priorities and let parents feed their kids first, then equip them with technology."

Hey, kids can't bring in the PB&J anymore, one kid out of the 10,000 might slip and fall face first into the sandwich and die.

As for the phones, HELL NO!

Isn't the real problem that nobody from the school called the parent when the kid had a broken arm?? That is scary!

Not Amused

It's still no excuse to remove the ban on cellphones in schools ! I went to public school through the late eighties into the ninties and I didn't have a cellphone . Were there instances were a cell would have come in handy ? Yes, That's no excuse to have them in schools . This is just another bunch of students parents trying to sway public officals into siding with them . Schools are places for knowledge, and Development . They are not suppose to be what the cellphones have morphed them into . They are nothing more then social hangouts now . If you want your child to be the best they can then leave the cell's at home or at a store that can be trusted to watch them . By the way, That's what School safety's for , If there's a problem in the school they are there to make sure the issue is resolved .

Rufus

Justin, you can hardly compare traffic laws designed for safety and public urination to cell phones in school. A blanket ban on cell phones when there are other options that might require a little creativity and additional work on the part of the schools is a lazy solution. Other commenters have already suggested some good alternatives.

As far as coveting thy neighbor's wife, huh?

eefers

I'm just amazed that she actually did something, you know, public... and she's like... advocating?

Schadenfreudian Mensch

As much of a chance that they'll graduate knowing how to read, write and add/subtract but otherwise they'll have a great cellphone with a shitty plan that mommy will be paying for.

huh

What are the chances that these students are calling/texting their parents from a cell phone on a daily basis?

Kevin Walsh

Cell phones will be in a school near you soon, if not under Bloomberg, then under Mayor Weiner or Mayor Thompson. They'll be in subway tunnels sooner or later, as well, and we'd all better get used to a noise-filled cacaphony, as bluetooth makes the computer mouse obsolete as well and we're all braying commands at our computers.

I'm investing in good earplugs.

www.forgotten-ny.com

uncommon sense

"if a student is having an emergency (being shot with a paintball gun, being chased by a perv, etc.), how does her parents' ability to call the school help her"

If those things are happening, the school isn't the one the parents should be calling during the emergency. Have the offices start answering the phones again. If we can't staff the offices enough to answer the phone, get parents to volunteer to do it.

Schadenfreudian Mensch

Being shot by a paintball isn't a life and death situation. Sure it's a nuisance and it might sting, but it ain't deadly. As to being chase by pervs, as I remember wasn't there a young woman who after partying with her girlfriends and got her car towed was being followed by a perv (who later raped and killed her) but she had a forethought to call her boyfriend of that fact. Boy, having a cellphone sure helped her out in a time of need.

zincink

Imagine if parents were totally consumed with the educational process as they are with cell phones.

Vinny

Not for nothing, Betsy, but most of these kids get free lunch 'cause mommy can't afford peanut butter. Maybe we should examine priorities and let parents feed their kids first, then equip them with technology.

Justin Smith

Rufus, I suspect that you're so open minded your brains have fallen out. Let's think of a few other ways we can change the law to deal with "nuanced" problems:

- Variable speed limits, based on whether you really need to get there quickly;

- Public urinations OK, but only if you really have to go really bad;

- Coveting thy neighbor's wife just fine if you absolutely HAVE TO get thy groove on.

Have fun administering your "nuanced" laws. Idiot.

Schadenfreudian Mensch

"Banning cell phones, like all "zero tolerance" measures, it is the lazy and easy way out of nuanced problems."

Yes, because we all know how much teachers enjoy taking time out from daily instructions to tell kids to shut off or confiscating their cell phones each and everyday.

anonymass

The solution of empowering each school principal to deal with the issue is the best one on the table.

Rufus

Banning cell phones, like all "zero tolerance" measures, it is the lazy and easy way out of nuanced problems.

aviatrix

call the school? if a student is having an emergency (being shot with a paintball gun, being chased by a perv, etc.), how does her parents' ability to call the school help her?

BigJ

Mark wrote: "I don't understand what's so complicated about allowing students to carry cellphones and have them on their person, but that they have to be turned off when in the school. That seems like a reasonable, common sense compromise."

Uh, the main reason that the school banned it to begin with was because no one turned them off even when told! Having to tell each student 10,000 times to turn it off and then only to have another one go off in class would make you want to ban them all too.

brooklynbee

Justin's comment= hilarious. I agree w/ Mark, why can't they allow cell phones as long as they are kept off - if a kid turns it on, confiscate it... or make them check them with a teacher or the principal's office. It IS handy to have a cell phone in an emergency!