Oh, Cell No! Series – Part 2: Parent and Guardian Perspective

Parents and Guardians are key players in the successful roll out of this Student Cell Phone Ban

Let me be up front and honest right here. Personally, as a parent, I was not a fan of this proposed ban. My parenting style is not in support of making cell phones off limits. A full-fledged ban of anything seems extreme to me as a parent. I would rather allow my children to learn through natural consequences – unless it was going to result in injury or damage. We learn from mistakes. This proposed ban felt like a slight invasion into my parental control of reaching and monitoring my children. I voiced my concerns through the legislative process but not in an extreme way.

Laws are made with the greater good in mind. And those of us in Oklahoma know that our public education is not known for being stellar in comparison with other states. If our legislators at the Capitol want to try something drastic to see if the education success needle can be moved even a bit, getting behind this requirement may be worth our while. So I am on board! Let’s try to get behind this!

Clearly, parents and guardians are key players in the successful roll out of this Student Cell Phone Ban. So, let’s pick up where we left off in Part One… 

For my parent and guardian friends, let’s start with what we know:

• There is a general ban in Oklahoma on student personal electronic devices.
• Each local school board is required to adopt a policy. Learn more about that process here.
• The policy will carve out exceptions to most definitely include at least student health monitoring and emergencies – maybe more. 
• It will include consequences for violations by students.
• The policy has to be in place for the 2025-2026 school year. 
• After this year, the school board can review the policy for future years and revise it, remove it, or keep it as is. (That is, of course, assuming the Legislature doesn’t come back next year and extend it…)

What we don’t know is how each school district board of education will meet these new legal requirements as it adopts its policy.

Parent and Guardian Perspective:

As a parent of two incredible public school students, I’ve given this a lot of thought. We spend a lot of money on our kids having technology – for fun, for entertainment, for school, for research, and to reach them whenever we want wherever they are. 

Weighing the intention to support educational focus, we have to consider when our kids really, truly need access to a personal electronic device while at school. A contrary attitude on my part would not help my kids’ success in school. Simply put, the students have no choice in this matter. Students are required to attend school, and this law is required in all public schools to be implemented. So in the interest of helping my kids, I will row in the same direction and encourage and support my kids as we pivot away from personal technology during the school day.

What Parents and Guardians can do Now:

Say something and keep it local. 

If you have ideas or concerns about how this new law impacts your child’s learning and/or your need to communicate, then please say something. But say it to those who can actually do something about it. Talk with your local school district’s superintendent and school board members. Tell them! Reach out now to your elected school board member. Send an email. Make a call. Call the superintendent’s office. Ask questions. Give scenarios.

But please be respectful and kind when you do so. Please remember this is a top-down situation from the Legislature. Saying you don’t like it isn’t helpful. Come with solutions and be adaptive.

Social media will not help here. 

For the love of all things true and real, please don’t give a lot of energy to what you read on social media. It’s probably not true. I have seen parents in certain FB groups complaining about steep fines they’ve heard will be charged to students and other extreme consequences. That isn’t true.

Social media outlets should not be your source of information. If your school hasn’t started sharing out already, then it will be doing so very soon. Schools are working on FAQs for families and students. Once the school board policy is adopted, the student handbooks will be updated. But these take time. But the real point is to look to the source for information and not to the rumor mill. Honestly, we are still figuring it all out.

Problem solve. 

The practical situations that haunt you are what you should ask to be considered. Brainstorm solutions. Engage with conversation with your child.  

Watch for the school board agenda item. 

Go find your school district’s website. Look up the Board Members. Figure out which is yours. Consider reaching out to your board member and introducing yourself. Share your thoughts and ask questions. Be patient for answers. We are all still trying to figure this out. Check often for the posting of meeting agendas and look for this policy to be listed. See if you can sign up for public comment. Follow that process closely. 

I know I am repeating myself; that is how much I mean it.

How to Prepare:

Think before you buy:
Kids love technology. Most of us do. And we often buy our kids the new, cool gadget for special occasions. I will have to consider this prohibition before I buy more tech gadgets. I wanted to get my son a smartwatch to help as he swims so he can track stats. But if it could be the cause for him to get in trouble at school, I think I’ll pass for now. 

Consider how your communications to your child during the school day need to change: 

As a parent, most, if not all, communications with my kids during the school day have to do with where and when to pick them up based on extracurricular and after school activities. Club meetings get cancelled. Practices run late. Maybe it is about the need for an item left behind before school. 

And let’s be really honest here… we also track our kids’ locations a lot now. Hell, when I was a kid, I remember the TV reminding parents that it was 10 o’clock and they should know where their kid is. That is not the case now. Some people will think we can just go back to the way it was before technology. That is not how the world works. Technology is still out there. And at some point, we need to educate our kids about how to have technology at their fingertips and be responsible at school and work and in the world. 

Truly, this ban is not just on students; it is also on parents and guardians. We will have a bit less access to our children. We have to wrap our heads around the fact that our communications could get our kids in trouble at school now. I don’t want to be the reason my kid gets detention.

We have to ask the questions and set the instructions before school about after school a bit more than before. We may have to call the front office to get information to our kids during the school day. 

Ask how you will be notified:

Your school has many communication methods to share with you about events and latest news. Find out what they are! Find a school parent buddy that likes to check out updates and keep you in the loop. Talk with your child’s teachers, coaches, and extra-curricular sponsors about how you will be notified if an after-school activity is scheduled, moved, or cancelled. You may need to download some school apps.

Jump onto this opportunity to talk with your child about responsible technology use: 

There are a ton of resources about technology out there. I will be honest that I did not like the idea or concept behind this new law. But now that it is what it is, I want to ensure my children are successful in their schools. I will support the efforts of the school to implement this new law. 

Coming soon! Part 3: The student voice and day-to-day instruction impact…