Pittsburgh Public Schools is in the midst of a pivotal decision-making process as officials deliberate on instituting a district-wide ban on cellphones in schools. This district-wide approach is being considered as a measure to bolster student safety and remove distractions, in light of a stabbing at Carrick High School in September that left three students injured. According to a report by WPXI, Sylvia Wilson, co-chair of the district’s Safety Committee, mentioned that "Cell phones are being used to threaten, bully and create chaos during the school day," implying a ban might mitigate such issues.
The push for a consistent policy across the school district, as opposed to the current school-by-school discretion, is driven by concerns that cellphones facilitate and escalate student misbehavior. Billy Hileman, President of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, highlighted the role of cellphones in school incidents: "There’s no doubt there are some incidents in our schools that were organized on social media," he stated, WPXI detailed. However, amidst these considerations, there's an acknowledgment of the delicate balance between safety and parental communication needs.
Presently, out of the district's 54 schools, 44 have their own cellphone policies, though enforcement varies. Gene Walker, PPS board president, cited recent incidents, such as the filmed fight at Carrick High School, as one motivation behind the proposed ban, stating, "This is kind of a response to the coordinated efforts of students to be around when fights happen, especially the fight at Carrick last month, and then take videos and pictures of those, and then share them," as reported by WTAE. Various methods are currently in use for managing cellphones, from Yondr pouches to secured boxes, demonstrating the variety of existing policies.
The first chance for public input is scheduled for a hearing next week, where the community will have the opportunity to add their perspectives to the conversation.
