Council Votes to Override Mayor Veto on Cell Phones

The city council’s committee for Public Safety unanimously voted to override Mayor Bloomberg’s veto of the cell phone bill which would allow students to carry cell phones to and from school. It is suspected that the entire body will follow suit on Monday, September 10th.

The proliferation of cellular phones, their widespread use in our society and parents’ concerns about their children’s safety are prompting new policies across the country that allows student use under very strict guidelines.

Parents have reported that they rely on electronic devices to keep track of their children. Moreover, there has been a rise in the need for two income families requiring both parents to work. This has created a greater need for instant communications with family members.

We can find ways to protect the educational integrity of schools and still utilize the technology of cell phones.

Schools can create strict guidelines for cell phone use
- Absolutely No cell phones to be used during classes.
- Limit cell phone use to before and after school.
- Cell phones remain off and out of sight during school hours
- No ringing cell phones or ring tones of any kind…vibrate or silent rings
only.
- Any violations of cell phone guidelines will be punishable by the loss of
cell phone privileges for the school year.

Cell phones are here to stay and they have become a more of necessity these
days rather than a luxury. As technology changes so must the social and
professional mores regarding the use and applications of these advances. We
live in an age of great advances in technology and what better place to
teach technology or cell phone “etiquette” than in our schools.

Congratulations to the New York City Council for their foresight and
understanding of this issue.

“Many people see technology as the problem behind the so-called digital
divide. Others see it as the solution. Technology is neither. It must
operate in conjunction with business, economic, political and social
system.” – Carly Fiorino (Chairwoman of Hewlitt Packard c. 2000