Parents, teachers react to Montgomery County Public Schools updated cell phone policy
On Friday, the school district said it updated its guidelines for mobile devices for the next school year.
The revised policy allows high schoolers to use their phones in between classes and during lunch, but not during class. Middle and elementary school students aren't allowed to use them during the school day at all.
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Parents and teachers who talked with DC News Now said they have mixed feelings about these updated regulations.
Nicole Porcaro has been a substitute teacher for MCPS for more than a decade. She said cell phones are a major distraction.
'Getting the kids to even take their earbuds out, it's texting, it's watching videos, it's on social media,' Porcaro said.
Jeremy Joseph is the father of two MCPS students, and he agrees that phones disrupt learning. That is why he has advocated for years for them to be taken out of the classroom.
'Because that gives kids the opportunity to focus on their studies,' Joseph said. 'The days and the teacher's time isn't taken up with policing the phones.'
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Joseph said the policy update is a step forward when it comes to elementary and middle schools, but not so much for high schools.
'If this is the right policy for elementary and middle school,' he said. 'Why is it not right for high school?'
MCPS parent Lisa Cline shares similar views.
'The high school part of the policy seems to be even a little bit more relaxed than it was,' Cline said. 'Elementary and middle, most of the schools were doing that anyway.'
Some parents, including Tara McKinney, don't agree with the updated regulations at all.
'I definitely want to make sure my kid can contact me at any point in time,' McKinney said. 'I think it's essential at this point in time.'
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McKinney isn't convinced MCPS will be able to enforce the policies, nor is parent Dawn Iannaco-Hahn.
'I would say high school is really going to be the most difficult,' Iannaco-Hahn said. 'My son comes home and tells me that there are teachers who will say, 'Please put your phones away,' and kids will cuss at the teacher.'
MCPS' full Updated Personal Mobile Device Regulation for the 2025-26 school year can be found here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Indianapolis Star
29-07-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Youth homelessness in Indiana: An invisible -- but not hopeless -- struggle
Indiana public schools have reported an estimated 44% increase in homeless students from the 2020-21 to the 2023-24 school years. This mirrors a national trend, with youth homelessness rising by an estimated 32% across the United States. Much of our data originates from the Department of Education, which under the McKinney-Vento Act of 1987, defines homeless children as 'individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.' Breaking the cycle of chronic homelessness, community leaders and advocates say, must start by supporting youths who don't have a place to call home. Without early intervention, the trauma of being homeless — both physical and emotional — can leave lasting scars on individuals and ripple effects throughout our communities. 'It was nightmarish,' Victor Hutchinson of Indianapolis said of his childhood spent bouncing between homeless shelters and staying with friends alongside his mother. Now 24, Hutchinson is a participant in Outreach Indiana — a local nonprofit working to equip and empower young Hoosiers between the ages 14–24 experiencing homelessness. For many Hoosiers, youth homelessness is an invisible issue. It's often hidden, undocumented, and underreported. And it looks very different from adult homelessness. Homeless youth may sleep on the street one night and on a friend's couch the next. This kind of intermittent homelessness makes it harder for them to qualify for state assistance programs, which often prioritize chronically homeless adults. The IndyStar estimates there were 22,114 homeless students (Pre K-12) in Indiana during the 2023-24 school year. The most recent count represents a 44% increase from the five-year low of 15,373 in 2020-21 school year. Of Indiana's homeless students, 28% of lived in Marion County in the 2022-23 school year, according to SchoolHouse Connection and Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan Youth homelessness is fueled by a range of factors, including family breakdowns, forced evictions, and cultural beliefs that turning 18 marks the end of parental responsibility, often forcing young adults out of their homes. 'I always felt like I was on the journey by myself, because we didn't have adults around us who could give us proper guidance, they didn't know what to do," said Trinity Hopkins, a 24-year-old local author and current Outreach participant. "So how could I expect them to teach me?' Homeless students consistently fall behind their housed peers in academic performance. For example, only 57% of homeless students were proficient in third-grade early literacy assessments, according to the Brightlane Learning Homeless Education 2024 Report. That's 1.4 times lower than the 82% proficiency rate among housed students. Several factors contribute to this gap: Lack of quality sleep, which is essential for a child's development and learning. Higher rates of serious health issues, such as asthma, which affect nearly twice as many homeless students compared to their housed peers. Food insecurity, with homeless students having reduced access to nutritious meals and being twice as likely to skip breakfast. 'Food insecurity is further exacerbated during the summer months, as many students rely on school for guaranteed meals like breakfast and lunch,' said Barbara Duffield, Executive Director of SchoolHouse Connection, a national nonprofit focused on ending homelessness through education. Loss of safety and structure: According to the Department of Education, nearly 80% of homeless students are 'doubled up,' meaning they share housing with others due to economic hardship. Constant movement makes it difficult to maintain stability. Missed learning opportunities: Homeless students often miss out on summer enrichment programs, especially when they move between school districts. College students face renewed homelessness: Many campuses close dorms during summer, leaving unhoused students without shelter. 'They come back to Indy, for example, and they are homeless again,' said Andrew Neal. Statewide data reveals a troubling racial disparity: According to SchoolHouse Connection and Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan, Black or African American students made up 31% of homeless students in Indiana (2022-23), despite representing only 11% of the overall student population. This overrepresentation reflects broader systemic inequities. African Americans are disproportionately affected across all categories of homelessness in Indiana, highlighting the urgent need to address racial bias and structural barriers in housing, education, and social services. Allow minors to apply for health insurance independently, such as Medicaid, without requiring parental consent. Eliminate racial disparities in housing, including discriminatory evictions, loan denials, and high housing costs. Repeal laws that criminalize homelessness, shifting the focus from punishment to support. Intervene early in a young person's housing crisis to prevent long-term or chronic homelessness in adulthood. The Public Policy Institute at Indiana University emphasizes that to curb the rise in youth homelessness, the state must strengthen programming for unhoused youth. This includes allowing unaccompanied minors to access healthcare, addressing racial inequities in housing, and, most urgently, ending the criminalization of homelessness. Currently, laws in Indiana make it illegal for people without homes to do basic things like sleep outside, sit in public spaces, stay in their cars, or ask for help. These laws can result in tickets, fines, or even arrests — punishments that only deepen the struggles of young people trying to survive. If we got rid of these laws, homeless youth could rest safely, get the help they need, and look for jobs without worrying about getting in trouble for trying to survive. Beyond the human cost, criminalizing homelessness is also financially inefficient. A national study found that placing a homeless youth in the criminal justice system for one-year costs $53,665, compared to just $5,887 to permanently move that same youth off the streets. The Indiana University Policy Institute found between 2021 and 2023, Indiana's corrections spending nearly doubled, from $849 million to an estimated $1.7 billion. Other cities have found success with more compassionate approaches. In 2015, Milwaukee County launched a Housing First Initiative, providing housing without preconditions. The results were dramatic: municipal violations dropped by 82%, and the homeless population fell from 1,521 to 900. 'If we truly want to address street homelessness, we need to focus more on upstream factors, cutting it off at the source, when a young person first becomes unhoused,' said Neal of Outreach Indiana. "The longer a youth remains on the streets, the more trauma they experience and the more likely they are to face long-term, chronic homelessness.' Fortunately, organizations like Outreach Indiana are already doing the groundwork, offering essentials like fresh clothes, hot meals, showers, and a safe, welcoming space for youth in need. 'I feel like this is a safe home for me… and I come here every chance I get. I wish they had housing because I would literally live here. You can tell they put love into it. Even if it's a bad day, you wouldn't know,' said Trinity Hopkins. But Outreach goes beyond the basics. They help youth build futures. 'If you need anything — literally anything — they're willing to help. They paid for my for-hire exam so I could start driving commercial vehicles (CDL),' said Victor Hutchinson, who recently started working at a moving company with Outreach's support. His advice to other young people facing homelessness is simple but powerful. 'It takes a lot of patience, so just endure. Endure all of it," Hutchinson said. "Because you know, within time, something will come up. Something will get better.' Outreach Youth Hotline: (317) 699-1994
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Yahoo
Maryland homeless students feel the brunt of housing unaffordability
BALTIMORE — A mother and 11-year-old daughter fleeing domestic violence moved to a Baltimore-area safe house in March. They had been homeless for more than a year, after a series of lost jobs and lost places to stay. 'It kept happening, and as far as I could see, I couldn't stop it,' said the 11-year-old, who enrolled in and attended three middle schools in the span of one year. 'So, instead of fighting it, [I] just accept it and move on.' She is one of thousands of students who have become homeless since 2019. In that time, Maryland has seen a 24% rise in homeless students during that time, due to ever-increasing rental and housing costs. At the same time, federal funds allocated to assist homeless students, like tutoring, after-school programs, transportation and school supplies, are being rolled back, further imperiling these children. The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth is a Georgia-based nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that advocates for educational equity for homeless youth. 'Many people don't understand that youth homelessness is even an issue in our country,' Executive Director Deirdre Nicholson said. 'It creates the pipeline to adult homelessness.' Higher housing costs, growing rates of homelessness among students Under the federal McKinney-Vento Assistance Act, homelessness doesn't simply mean living outdoors — it includes students who live in emergency shelters, cars or motels, as well as those who are 'doubling-up:' staying with friends or relatives. While there are about 1.3 million students identified under McKinney-Vento, that number only scratches the surface — there are an estimated 4.2 million youth experiencing homelessness nationwide, Nicholson said. Although the school systems have better tools to identify them, a majority aren't provided services, she said. Homeless students in Baltimore City accounted for 5,732 of the student body population for the 2023-2024 school year. Baltimore County came close behind with 2,791, followed by Montgomery County with 1,804, according to Maryland State Department of Education data. And as inflation has increased, along with the cost of living, so, too, has the cost of housing. In Maryland, the average rental price rose 20.5% between 2019 to 2024, according to an analysis by The Sun of the Apartment List rent estimates monthly report. Since 2000, the increase in rents and home prices has risen faster than income in the country, according to a 2024 analysis by the U.S. Treasury. Simultaneously, there's a larger demand for housing than available supply due to increased construction costs, local land-use and zoning restrictions and changing demographics, the Treasury analysis found. School supplies, laundry: services for homeless students Students enrolled in McKinney-Vento services can remain in and/or enroll in their school of choice, while also providing transportation, academic support, and other necessary services. The 11-year-old's new school helped some, the mother said. It gave them $200 for clothes, as well as school supplies and a new gym uniform under the federal program, the mother said. The school's guidance counselor also worked with her daughter. (The Baltimore Sun is not disclosing the names of the mother and daughter to protect their safety.) Schools also connect families with outside resources and organizations to get them back on their feet. Jennifer Cox founded Empower4life, a Baltimore-based nonprofit organization that provides education and health programs for homeless youth. This school year, she helped launch a laundry service at one Baltimore County school after a student whose family currently lives in a motel asked to wash his and his siblings' clothes at school. Now, a lot of families come in to use the laundry machines. It might sound like a simple thing to go to a laundromat, but families might not even have the funds for it, she said. Cox said she has observed an increase in the needs of homeless students and families for the services her foundation provides over the past few years. 'These kids are coming home from school and they're coming to really, really loud, stressful, chaotic, sometimes toxic environments,' Cox said. 'These kids are not playing sports. They're not going to the Boys and Girls Club.' Homelessness leads to worse academic performance Homelessness has a drastic impact on young people's academic progress and well-being, said Melissa Kull, a senior researcher focusing on youth housing instability and mental health at the nonpartisan, nonprofit social science research organization American Institute of Research. The stressful environment of cycling in and out of stable housing affects cognitive and social development in children, too, Kull said. Younger children are more likely to develop anxiety and depression, and score lower on early academic tests than students not experiencing housing instability, she said. While, older children are better able to weather changes, because they're missing school, she said, they may not graduate on time, or at all. While the data shows an increase in the number of Maryland students experiencing homelessness, the numbers don't tell the whole story. Some people whose children would qualify for services under McKinney-Vento never report their lack of fixed housing, out of fear, confusion or something else. Carla and her children became homeless nine months ago after experiencing domestic violence, which landed her and her children in a safe house. She switches among friends' homes, and her children split time between wherever she's staying at the time and their father's home. Carla didn't tell the school they had become homeless since she signed a contract with the safe house not to disclose their location, she said. She said she didn't know her children were eligible for services. As a result, they didn't receive any — and at the same time, her children suffered the emotional and academic impacts that homeless children often do. Her youngest son is autistic and had more frequent outbursts and triggers while in the shelter. Her 12-year-old son's grades dropped significantly at that time, from As to Cs, she said. But now that they are in more stable conditions, his grades have bounced back. He couldn't concentrate and was uncomfortable in their new environment, she said. She has been unable to find a job that can accommodate her youngest son's needs as well as pay enough to cover basic needs. She hasn't applied for housing assistance because spaces are 'nonexistent,' she said. The complex that would allow her children to remain in their school is waitlisted — and the waitlist is closed. Others have been luckier, finding support at school and even housing. LovRico Johnson Jr. and his 8-year-old daughter arrived at a Baltimore County shelter, located behind an abandoned school, three weeks ago. They became homeless four months ago after suffering domestic violence. She has changed schools twice and their experience with housing instability, moving between shelters and hotels, has taken its toll. Her grades dropped, she refused to do homework and occasionally acted out. Johnson said he told his daughter's last school that they were homeless, but that they did nothing more than tell him about some resources. Her new school gave her book bags, school supplies and helped them find a new home they'll go to at the end of the month, Johnson said. She is excited to start the third grade soon and is enjoying summer camp in the meantime, she said. One day, she hopes to become an astronaut and go to the moon. Solve the daily Crossword
Fast Company
16-07-2025
- Fast Company
NYC Fishmongers are turning butcher paper into a call to action
One hundred miles off the coast of New York City, there is an underwater canyon teeming with marine life. Seabirds soar overhead as whales, sharks, dolphins, sea turtles, and fish gather around Hudson Canyon. With so many species calling the canyon home, the Wildlife Conservation Society wants Hudson Canyon to be designated a National Marine Sanctuary. The designation, awarded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, would protect the ecologically diverse area from companies hoping to mine the seabed for oil, gas, and minerals. It's not just the endangered species WCS is hoping to save from disruptive and dangerous mining—it also wants to save the fish you eat for dinner. With a striking new campaign created by the advertising agency McKinney, WCS is calling on seafood lovers to sign its petition urging NOAA to protect Hudson Canyon, home to the creatures that stock seafood markets in New York City and beyond. [Image: courtesy Hudson Canyon] 'We're protecting the species out there, we're protecting their health, but we're also protecting the economic viability of our waters,' says Christine Osekoski, executive director of the Wildlife Conservation Society. Subscribe to the Design newsletter. The latest innovations in design brought to you every weekday Privacy Policy | Fast Company Newsletters To help communicate the importance of Hudson Canyon to the people who enjoy the spoils of commercial fishing there, McKinney took an analog-first approach to the campaign. They printed the petition right onto the butcher paper that seafood markets wrap around the fish they sell. [Image: courtesy Hudson Canyon] 'What better way to get the actual cause, actual information, and actual petition into people's hands . . . than at the moment you are consuming the very thing that is being threatened?' asks Omid Amidi, chief creative officer at McKinney. To create an eye-catching design on the butcher paper, McKinney's team members used a Japanese printing technique called gyotaku, brushing the types of animals found in the Hudson Canyon with blue ink and pressing them onto paper. The process yields nearly perfect impressions of the very same creatures the campaign is trying to save—black sea bass, scallops, and crabs, for example. [Image: courtesy Hudson Canyon] The fish prints are paired with maps of the Hudson Canyon, copies of the petition text, and QR codes to sign it. These elements, all in blue, are overlaid with blocky red letters reading 'Quit Floundering, Then Save the Canyon' and 'Save the Scallops, Then Sear Them,' among other sayings. The simple layouts and contrasting blue and red ink are meant to evoke the advertising and storefront design choices of old New York fish markets. The end product is a far cry from the plain brown butcher paper that markets traditionally use to wrap seafood. [Image: courtesy Hudson Canyon] 'The design itself is just meant to stop you in your tracks,' Amidi says. 'Even though it's a light piece of paper, it has the weight of all the work and all the care we put into it.' Adding to the campaign, McKinney designed window clings and counter cards for participating markets, as well as created signage displayed at the New York Aquarium and online videos featuring local fishmongers supporting the effort. advertisement [Image: courtesy Hudson Canyon] The campaign launched June 9, the day after the United Nations' World Oceans Day. Since then, participating seafood markets in the New York City area have wrapped their fish in WCS's petition and stirred up support among customers. Six markets are participating in the campaign: Mt. Kisco Seafood, Greenpoint Fish and Lobster, Metro Seafood, Mermaid's Garden Sustainable Seafood, Marty's Gourmet Seafood, and Lobster Place at Chelsea Markets. 'We definitely have a crew of loyal customers who are into sustainability,' says David Seigal, culinary director at Lobster Place at Chelsea Markets. 'But we also have a lot of customers who want to know where their food is coming from, and I think those are the people who are most interested in this.' Some participating fish markets are already asking for more shipments of the paper, Osekoski says, as more people see the design and sign the petition. This show of support is an important step in the process toward Hudson Canyon being designated a National Marine Sanctuary. Soon, NOAA will release its draft of the designation documents and solicit comments from the public before ultimately choosing whether to make the area a sanctuary. By the end of the public comment period, WCS hopes its petition will have 25,000 signatories—and the nonprofit is already one-third of the way there. For Seigal, also an avid fisherman who frequently travels to the Hudson Canyon, protecting the area is a cause especially close to his heart. 'We're in business with Mother Nature, when it comes down to it,' he says. 'Any threat to Mother Nature is a threat to, at a minimum, our business, but really to our existence as a human race.'
