Parental Debate On The Use Of Cellphones In School — Why Debate?

As I read this USA Today article by Edward C. Baig, I thought to myself, why debate something that has already been authorized and established by school district policy? School district policies regarding cellphone use, have been clearly defined and established by school district governing authorities. There's nothing to be debated about the use of cellphones in schools.

For example, in the El Paso School District Morehead Middle School Handbook, school district policy has been clearly defined and established (see page 14 here under the heading "Electronic Devices"):

"As per policy: the District prohibits students from using any personal telecommunications device that emits an audible signal, vibrates, displays a message, or otherwise summons or delivers a communication to the possessor, including but not limited to paging devices, cell phones, mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and other telecommunications devices, while participating in school-sponsored or school-related activities on or off school property during the instructional day (including lunchtime on campus) and while instruction is being conducted, except as permitted by campus teachers and/or librarians. If your child brings a cell phone to school, your child must leave his/her cell phone turned off and out of area for use. EXCEPTION: Teachers and librarians shall make exceptions to this policy as needed for instructional purposes. The decision to grant an exception shall be based on a teacher’s or librarian’s determination that instructional activity can be enhanced by a personal electronic device. If the teacher or librarian grants an exception, the teacher or librarian may impose such conditions on the student’s use of the device as the teacher or librarian deems reasonable under the circumstances."

Now folks, the above middle school policy can't get any plainer than what has been stated above. The problem comes about when parents do not and will not support school district (authoritative) policy, simply because they have no established rules at home for their children to obey (see here). Learning (here is the objective) can only take place when there are no outside or inside distractions. Here is a case in point regarding Bible study.

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets