Latest news with #schoolpolicy
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
'We didn't expect it to be life changing': Hoover, Bergman say banning phones was just that
DES MOINES, Iowa — Looking back on their year as pioneers, two very different schools sound remarkably similar. 'We anticipated a lot of pushback and we got hardly any,' says Sydney Gerritsen, director of student affairs at Bergman Academy, central Iowa's only non-church-affiliated private school. 'It didn't take long for most of our kids to go 'got it—keep the phone away during the 45 minutes of class,'' says Qynne Kelly, principal at Des Moines' Hoover High School, one of the metro's most diverse public high schools. 'I'd say now we're taking maybe–at most—ten cell phones a week.' Looking for a way to solve the nationwide problem of cell phones in schools, Hoover banned phones, requiring all students to keep them in their backpacks during class. Kelly says the small-but-difficult rule change affected everything. 'You could start with a 14% increase in As and Bs,' she says. 'We'll be over 55% As and Bs after this semester—maybe even higher. Failures cut in half.' In addition to grades, student behavior at Hoover improved as well. 'Out-of-school suspension is down 60%. That's 6-0,' she adds. VR Headset offers new way for Des Moines lifeguards to train Bergman, with its younger student body running grades K-8, took the ban up a level: all students were required to check them in at the front office at the beginning of the day. As they left in the afternoon, the phones were returned. The results were much the same as Hoover's. 'It was so good to see them engage more with each other,' Gerritsen said. 'That is the biggest thing that we noticed this year, is the inter-student engagement was completely different than it's been the last couple of years with those older students.' Kelly says classrooms at Hoover came alive without the distractions of phones. 'When you used to go in a year ago, there were a lot of kids honestly looking down at their laps, looking at cell phones,' Kelly remembers. 'You'd go in and a kid would be watching a full-length film on their cell phone!' She says 90% of students followed the rule immediately. Others came around quickly and the entire atmosphere changed. 'Now it's entirely different. You go in there and you hear chatter and engagement and learning—like and energy, a buzz is what I would call it. And not just in the classrooms, in the hallways as well.' Both leaders say they expect other schools to see the same sort of results during the 2025-26 school year as they follow the new law signed by Governor Kim Reynolds this spring, banning cell phones from all Iowa classrooms. Four-day school week 'went fantastic' says Saydel Superintendent 'It ended up being easier than we thought,' Gerritsen says. 'We know we don't have high schoolers. We know that can be a different level of challenge, and I know high schoolers are probably going to approach it differently. They're not going to have wooden boxes in the office to lock 700 phones in. But it can work, and the kids do see that it makes a huge difference for them.' And both leaders agree the key to success is having a clear plan in place. 'First it's explaining the 'why,'' Kelly says. 'Second it is being consistent, and third is trusting your team to do the job—and make sure that your community is supportive of the people who are going to be doing that.' Below are the full interviews with Bergman Academy Director of Student Affairs Sydney Gerritsen and Hoover High School Principal Qynne Kelly. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
San Francisco's absurd new plan for school kids even has liberal parents furious
Parents across the political spectrum are up in arms after San Francisco's school district announced a new plan that will see pass marks lowered. Superintendent of Schools Maria Su unveiled the new 'Grading for Equity' plan last night that will scrap homework and weekly testing, and allow students to pass with scores as low as 41. It comes after left-wing activists argued that homework and testing disproportionately affects students from poorer backgrounds and creates an uneven playing field. But even liberals pushed back against the extreme new policy. Ro Khanna, a Democratic congressman for Silicon Valley known for his progressive values, slammed the move on X: 'My immigrant dad asked me where the missing 10% went when I scored a 90. He came to America for the chance to work hard & pursue excellence. 'Giving A's for 80 percent & no homework is not equity - it betrays the American Dream and every parent who wants more for their kids.' According to The Voice of San Francisco, the plan, which is set to go into effect later this fall. Su has been able to push the new plan through without being the subject to a public vote, with the plan set to affect over 10,000 students in 14 high schools. The outlet reported that the new plan will essentially eliminate homework and weekly testing from making up a student's final semester grade. A student's grade will be based solely on their final examination, which they can also take multiple times. Students can also be late in handing in assignments or even fail to appear in class without it having an effect on their overall mark. Current thresholds in place mean a students needs a 90 for an A and at least 61 for a D. The changes mean a score as low as 80 now counts as an A, while a mark of 21 counts as a D. Fellow democrat Garry Tan, a venture capitalist, also blasted the move, he said: 'San Francisco schools is trying its absolute hardest to make sure all middle income families who could move out of the city do so right away ''Grading for Equity' is going to be a real disaster and I guess this is a boon for SF private schools and Burlingame housing prices. 'For education bureaucrats who ruin our public schools with the most unfair and anti-merit polices: BUSINESS IS BOOMING. 'Someone needs to investigate the Schools of Education that spawn these policies because it is a real danger to public schools everywhere.' The move has been widely criticized on social media even from Democrats Entrepreneur Chamath Palihapitiya added: 'This is, on its face, absolutely retarded. It's also a disgrace that this comes from the preeminent tech capital of the world. 'This will, however, be very good for housing prices in areas surrounding SF.' According to the outlet, the district had consulted Joe Feldman who had helped implement a similar system in Placer County in 2019. In an article on the School Superintendents Association in 2019, Feldman said: 'The percentage of students receiving D's and F's decreased — and decreased more dramatically for students of color and for students with special needs. 'Grade inflation, as measured by the rate of students receiving A's, decreased, and they dropped more dramatically among more privileged student populations. 'Students' grades didn't just improve; they were more accurate. Improved grading practices significantly decreased the difference between students' grades and their scores on standardized assessments of that content, and the effect was stronger and more likely for students who qualified for free or reduced-price lunch. 'Students and teachers reported less stressful classrooms and stronger teacher-student relationships.' The Voice said that the new system will be modeled on a system used in the San Leandro Unified School District. At that school district, pupils can earn an A with a score of 80 percent and achieve a pass with a D at 21 percent.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
School cell phone bill goes to desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis
The Legislature on Friday formally sent Gov. Ron DeSantis a bill that would prohibit elementary and middle school students from using cell phones during the entire school day. The cell-phone change, which was included in a broader education bill (HB 1105), would expand on a current law that prevents students from using cell phones during instructional time. It would prohibit cell-phone use throughout the school day in elementary and middle schools. It would also create a pilot program in six counties that would prevent cell phone use in high schools throughout the school day. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Schools should ban student phone use, council says
A state advisory council plans to recommend that all North Carolina public schools ban student phone use during the entire school day, including during non-instructional time such as breaks and lunch. The draft recommendation from the Governor's Advisory Council for Student Safety and Well-Being says eliminating use of those devices during the school day will help create 'healthy learning environments for students that contribute to increased academic achievement and improved student well-being.' 'We believe that North Carolina must blaze a trail in its efforts to improve student academic achievement and well-being by eliminating the use of personal communication devices in schools,' the council's co-chairs say in the introduction letter to the report. 'Let's give our students eight hours a day Monday through Friday where they can focus on being students, engaging actively with their friends and teachers in-person without the constant pressure of a device. Our students most certainly deserve it.' Council members reviewed the draft best practices guide on Thursday and will vote on it in the coming week. It's scheduled to be published June 3. The report will include guidance on how schools can implement student phone policies. Gov. Josh Stein signed an executive order in April creating the advisory council. Developing guidance on school phone policies was the first job given to the new council. The council was formed amid growing national concerns about how social media addiction is distracting students from learning. The council report cites statistics such as that students are on their phones for a median of 43 minutes during the school day. At least 22 states have laws or policies that ban or restrict students' use of cellphones in schools or recommend local districts enact their own bans or restrictive policies, according to an Education Week analysis. Both the state House and Senate have passed their own bills to restrict cellphone use in schools and included the language in their budget proposals. The Senate added its phone restrictions this week to a House bill on social media literacy. Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch, a council co-chair, told the members on Thursday that the council probably will approve a formal recommendation, which in turn will help shape any final legislation. One of the questions facing school districts is how complete to make the ban. For instance, some districts ban students from using their phones while they're at school while others allow them to be used during non-instructional time. 'A district should consider student age and grade ranges for these considerations and may consider different policies for different grade levels, such as elementary, middle and high school,' the council said in its report. 'As outlined previously, it is important to note that it remains this Advisory Council's recommendation that personal communication devices are removed from student use from the beginning to the end of each school day.' The council recognized though that there will have to be some exemptions. Examples of 'legitimate exemptions' include emergencies, instructional, medical and accommodations for students with special needs. For instance, some students use their phones to monitor their glucose levels. Students with disabilities may need to use their phones as part of their individualized education programs. The report recognizes that it won't be easy getting parents out of the habit of calling or texting their children during the school day. 'Students, staff and families have become accustomed to having quick and easy access to communication throughout the day,' according to the council report. 'Public school units must consider what processes will be used and clearly detail how students and parents can communicate with one another during the school day if their personal communication devices are not permitted.' Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
School accused of banning pupils from their end of year prom after they shaved their heads in solidarity with their cancer-stricken classmate
A secondary school has come under fire after students were reportedly banned from prom and placed in isolation after they shaved their heads to support a classmate with cancer. The row erupted at Newark Academy in Nottinghamshire, where a group of teenage boys made the heartfelt gesture after learning their friend had been diagnosed with testicular cancer. The brave pupil is currently undergoing chemotherapy and is unable to sit exams or attend his weekend job while spending four days a week in hospital, according to his fundraising page. But what was meant to be a touching show of solidarity has sparked fury after school bosses allegedly decided the haircuts breached uniform policy - prompting disciplinary action against the boys. Parents have blasted the school for what they claim is a 'heartless' response, accusing it of punishing students 'for being decent human beings'. In a post on social media, one furious parent wrote: 'Friends matter, especially during trying times in life. This shows solidarity, respect, support, empathy, understanding and most importantly love. 'These things can only be learned in life, not in school. Shame on those punishing these young men for being decent human beings!' Another raged: 'What the hell is wrong with Newark Academy!! Punishing pupils by isolation and banning prom for showing support for a friend with cancer. Their crime? Shaving their heads. That school is on a power trip. Punishing lots of pupils for next to nothing.' A third added: 'Instead of punishing children from showing empathy and compassion why not listen to them and support them with these massive big emotions and help educate the whole school about this cancer awareness.' The backlash has even reached local politics. Johno Lee, Independent Councillor for Balderton North and Coddington, slammed the school, saying: 'When I first heard the rumours on social media you wonder if people are exaggerating. But I was shocked to have it confirmed that it's true and it's just wrong. 'I was in the military for 12 years and appreciate there's a dress code to follow, but these boys were doing a good deed for a friend. 'This damages the reputation of the school and I would urge them to reconsider their actions and I hope the boys are eventually vindicated and allowed to go the prom. 'These boys should not be punished for showing solidarity with a friend.' The teenager's family set up a fundraising page to help with the cost of hospital trips and time off work, praising the overwhelming support from his friends. 'His friends have been amazing and all shaved their heads in supporting him. The support his had from them has been absolutely amazing. 'Any donations would be greatly appreciated for when he gets out of hospital. It will also help towards the family's endless trips to QMC, time off work to look after him.' Newark Academy, which is run by the Nova Education Trust, has acknowledged the incident but defended its actions, citing its strict behaviour and appearance policy. In a statement, a spokesperson said: 'We are aware of the recent situation involving students who have shaved their heads, an action that is in breach of our school's behaviour and appearance policy. 'First and foremost, we want to acknowledge and commend the compassion and solidarity these students have shown for their friend. Their empathy and support are qualities we value deeply in our school community. 'While we understand and respect the motivations behind their actions, the schools have a responsibility to uphold their agreed standards and rules, which are communicated clearly to all students and parents. 'We are reviewing how best to balance the enforcement of school policies with the need for compassion in exceptional circumstances such as these. 'We are engaging with the students and their families to ensure a constructive resolution and are also exploring ways we, as a community, can show collective support for the affected student and their family during this difficult time.' The academy, based on London Road in Balderton, Newark, caters to more than 1,100 pupils aged 11 to 18. It was rated 'Good' by Ofsted during its last inspection. Newark Academy has been approached for further comment.
