The Hamilton County School Board will vote to approve the county’s first district-wide student mobile phone policy at its May meeting.
The policy states that “additional guidance is needed to protect valuable time for learning and foster and maintain positive school environments.”
The policy as presented allows personal wireless devices on campus but prohibits use and requires that they are put away out of sight during the school day. The policy includes glasses, watches, earbuds and headphones.
The policy states that taking photos and videos at school is prohibited, especially recording fights. Violators will be punished using the district’s Code of Acceptable Behavior.
Teachers will prioritize the school-issued Chromebook computers for classroom use, with allowances for students with a 504 plan or individualized education program.
Elementary students may use a mobile phone before or after school if the school has express permission from a parent or guardian.
One Hamilton County parent asked the board to turn its discernment inward as well, to Chromebooks at school.
Rebecca Howard addressed the board with her concerns that students and teachers can access sexually explicit content at school on their “government-issued” Chromebooks, which she said is contributing to sex crimes and sexual assault committed at school, by students and by teachers.
“Stop abdicating your responsibility,” she said.
Shannon Moody, chief strategy officer for Hamilton County schools, said that school-issued Chromebooks have “double wall” protection. Each school’s wireless network has a firewall, and each Chromebook is programmed with another security filter by the district’s IT staff. The firewalls are compliant with the Children’s Internet Protection Act, Ms. Moody said, and the filters are updated locally when problem sites surface.
The school board will vote on the budget in May.
They approved the building of a new track at East Hamilton School.
The board approved hiring 12 Teach For America cadets to help fill what Dr. Zac Brown estimates will be 390 vacancies for the 2024-25 school year. Board member Joe Wingate said he just does not want to come to depend on TFA to staff the schools.
The panel voted to postpone a vote to approve a Stand for Children Leadership Center contract because members Rhonda Thurman, Larry Grohn, Marco Perez and Joe Smith said they do not trust the organization, and they do not trust the vague description of the program that seems to lower standards to "pass" ninth graders. They also are wary of more and more layers of programs and bureaucracy for teachers. Board member Faye Robinson said, "I do not see the new and improved."