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TDMS staff say 'Off and Away All Day' pilot cut phone incidents; board weighs uniform policy
Summary
TDMS teachers and principal presented data showing cellphone violations fell sharply under last year’s 'Off and Away All Day' pilot and urged the district to align a new state-required Personal Electronic Devices policy with the pilot’s clear enforcement model. The board debated one-size rules versus site-level flexibility.
Sherri Kilgore, principal at The Dalles Middle School, said the school's cellphone pilot was a "tremendous success," and described the district's restorative discipline philosophy as focused on teaching rather than punishment.
Two TDMS teachers and the principal presented comparative data and operational experience to the board, saying the pilot reduced disruptions and saved staff time. Science teacher Alisa Long told the board first offenses tied to cellphone use fell from 217 in 2022–23 to 97 in 2024–25 under the "Off and Away All Day" model, and estimated teachers saved roughly 18+ hours previously spent on parent contacts for device incidents. Math teacher Amanda Moreno warned that the draft policy's required warning-tracking system would place a substantial administrative burden on classroom teachers and risk inconsistent enforcement across sites.
Board members discussed State Executive Order 259 (Section 3E), which restricts disciplinary actions that remove instructional time and requires new policy language by Jan. 1. Kilgore and staff said the district has reworked its discipline matrix to comply but expressed concern that the state directive could undermine practices they found effective. Director Kevin Kramer characterized personal devices as "electronic opium" and urged alignment with what works for students; Chair Betsy Hege and others asked whether TDMS could continue its pilot tactics while the district refines policy language.
Superintendent Dr. Carolyn Bernal told the board superintendents have raised concerns at the state level but that the formal rulemaking timeline remains unclear. Board members debated whether prescriptive language belongs in the board policy or in downstream administrative rules and handbooks that allow site-level adaptations.
The board did not adopt the policy at this meeting; it conducted a first reading and discussed next steps, including possible pilot rollouts at other schools and refining consequence language ahead of a future second reading.
