Bradley County Cell Ban Is A Learning Moment: For Parents

  • Saturday, August 2, 2025

Our children are addicted to their cell phones. I don’t blame the kids, I would be the same way, probably worse.

The Bradley County Schools have a new cell phone policy: ban the cell, bell to bell. If you’re in class, no cell phone. Hamilton County Schools should follow the courageous lead of our sister city.

Can we all agree it would be a better opportunity for the teachers to teach, and the kids to learn, if we ban the cell, bell to bell?

I understand parents who need a 24-hour lifeline to their children. But somehow they grew up without their parents knowing where they were 24/7. That often kept me in the clear.

And I realize that times have changed. A school shooting is a parent’s worst nightmare. But I believe the school system and law enforcement have a plan in place to notify the parents of such a horrific event.

But that horrific event was not caused by a cell phone. It was caused by a patient with a mental illness who got their hands on a long-gun, not a Samsung.

Under the Bradley County cell phone ban, there are certain exceptions to the “bell to bell” ban and the school can issue the student a cell phone “carry permit”. And that is more than is required by a Tennessee gun owner.

Maybe that’s progress.

C. Mark Warren

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