Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Phones Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Godley ISD administrators recommend restricting student cell phone use during instructional time
Summary
District administrators recommended a new restriction on student personal communication devices during instructional time after staff and parent input indicated the devices were disrupting learning.
District administrators recommended a new approach to student personal communication devices at a Godley ISD Board of Trustees meeting, asking that the district require students to keep cell phones and connected devices out of sight during instructional time and allow limited use for specific, teacher-approved activities.
The recommendation came from a presentation by Mister Flood, who said staff and parent feedback and district surveys showed broad support for restrictions. “95% said no. The benefits do not outweigh the negative,” Mister Flood told the board when summarizing the staff survey results. He also noted the devices’ value in emergencies: “The phones are valuable from an emergency standpoint.”
The proposal responds to three parent presentations and a district survey. Flood told the board that about 59 of 72 instructional staff on the high school campus responded to the staff survey and that roughly 75–88 percent of staff reported phones were a problem. In addition, 28 parents signed in at the outreach meetings and 109 of 146 parent-survey respondents supported a restriction.
Administrators highlighted teacher-reported harms beyond classroom distraction, including cheating and increased incidents tied to student mental-health concerns. Flood summarized teacher reports that phones interrupt classroom discussion, enable bullying and “asynchronous” social interaction, and reduce student engagement.
The district’s recommended handbook language would require students to keep “cell phones and all devices that connect to a cell phone, including AirPods, headphones and smartwatches, in their bag or out of sight for the first instructional bell until the final instructional bell.” Campus administrators could allow devices during lunch or other noninstructional times, and teachers could request limited device use for instructional purposes.
Board members gave largely procedural feedback. Administrators said the change is administrative and can be implemented without formal board action, though they will brief the board on results and adjustments. Flood said the district will post the presentation and open the survey to parents online, and that communications would begin roughly six weeks before the next school year to prepare families and staff.
Administrators described a stepped disciplinary approach: a first offense results in the device taken and returned to the student with a warning; a second offense prompts a parent call; a third offense requires a parent conference and a plan.
Next steps: administrators will post the presentation online, continue teacher and parent engagement, and plan communications for implementation before the start of school. They also said they will survey staff after implementation to assess impact and make adjustments.
