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Capitol High history teacher urges board to ban cell phones in classrooms
Summary
Teacher Jaren Spray told the board cell phones are ‘‘insidious’’ and urged Santa Fe Public Schools to ban them; Superintendent Chavez noted a pre-filed state bill would direct the New Mexico PED to make a recommendation and include $10 million in allocation.
Jaren Spray, a history teacher at Capitol High School, used the Jan. 16 public forum to urge the Santa Fe Public Schools Board of Education to ban cell phones in schools, describing the devices as ‘‘insidious and destructive.’’
Spray outlined multiple harms he says cell phones create in classrooms: distraction from instruction, cheating, organizing fights or clandestine meetings, facilitating bullying and sharing violent videos online. ‘‘The only real solution…the only one that possibly has a chance of making a difference is to ban cell phones altogether,’’ Spray said, repeatedly calling for a ban.
Superintendent Chavez responded during the superintendent’s updates that there is a pre-filed bill before the Legislature that would direct the New Mexico Public Education Department to make a recommendation on banning cell phones; Chavez said the bill includes a $10,000,000 allocation. Chavez asked for community support for the proposal. No board action on a district ban was taken at the meeting.
