Pittsfield Goes Back to School With Tighter Cell Phone Policy
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee has tightened the district's cell phone regulations but some recognize that it may not be enough.
On Wednesday, a revised policy was passed that holds students' phones in the main office on a second infraction. By the fourth, the student is assigned Restorative In-School Education (RISE) and a caregiver must pick up the device.
A tiered cell phone policy was accepted last summer and after more than 6,300 infractions occurred in the subsequent school year, administrators went back to the drawing board.
Over the past month, teachers, families, and committee members helped inform a refined policy that interim Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, Assessment, and Education Engagement Matthew Bishop described as an "intermediary step."
"We knew we have to make this much more simpler than it's been and there's been, in some ways, multiple pathways and write-ups and warnings before we really get to any resolution," he said. "So we've really simplified this to basically just four infractions if you will."
While the policy was unanimously approved, some committee members feel it is too lenient and will not yield desired results. Superintendent Joseph Curtis agreed to update the panel regularly on its implementation and give a formal update in the winter so there will be time to re-evaluate before the next school year, if necessary.
"At each level of school, there were three tiers with a number of warnings, discussion points, etc. and I would argue that there was just too much of that," he said about the previous regulations.
"And tracking that for our administrators when there could be a point where a student would receive 10 warnings or write-ups or calls home or what have you, it's just too much to manage."
Disciplinary measures include:
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One infraction: (Educator supported) Students are asked to place their phones in the classroom holder for the duration of the period. The educator documents the incident that day, notes it as a first infraction, and contacts the caregiver by phone or email to inform them of the situation.
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Two infractions: (Educator and administrator supported) The educator requests administrative assistance and the student's cell phone is confiscated and taken to the main office. The educator then completes the incident log and contacts the student's home by phone or email. The student may retrieve their phone at the end of the school day.
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Three infractions: (Administrator supported) The educator requests assistance and the phone is held in the main office for the day. The student is assigned a half-day of RISE and the phone can be retrieved by the student at the end of the school day.
- Four infractions: (Administrator supported) The educator requests assistance and the administrator brings the student's phone to the main office where caregivers are required to pick it up and the student is assigned one day of RISE.
After five or more infractions, the student could be given RISE (Restorative In-School Education) or out-of-school suspension. The intent is for it to not reset and follow students throughout the year.
Bishop said the district is going to watch the data "very closely." He pointed out that if it didn't work and there was a desire to move toward lockable (such as Yondr) pouches, it would have budgetary implications and would need to be communicated in late winter or early spring.
"It's as close to a zero-tolerance policy as you could possibly get," Dominick Sacco said.
Chair William Cameron asked why students are allowed to retrieve their phones from the office until the fourth infraction. Bishop explained that this policy is a compromise between those from other communities, some of which require the student to pick up their own phones for all infractions and some of which require the caregiver to pick it up on the first infraction.
"We know a number of families might have logistical concerns, difficulty getting to school," he explained.
"So we tried to compromise because again, that third time the student is in RISE for a half-day and the parent or the caregiver would know that, okay, we're serious and the next time you have to come in to get this."
Cameron pointed to the dramatic number of infractions accrued last school year and feels that the sooner parents are engaged, they will realize it is a serious problem and the district will be better off.
"I really hope that this plan that we have before us right now will do the trick, and if it doesn't, then I think we need to look at something, at measures that we know will do the trick, even if they're going to create a new set of problems for us administratively," he said.
However, he feels that the lockable pouches are a waste of money. It is estimated that they would cost around $125,000 to implement.
"I support the way that you have it where parents come in infraction four because I'm also concerned about, like you said, the family members who cannot come and pick up the phone and then you're creating a hostile environment between those families and the school," Diana Belair said.
"And for that reason, educators may be less likely to even participate in taking a student's phone if now they have to deal with the parents or caregivers."
Sara Hathaway, who is passionate about the subject, voted for the policy because she feels it is moving in the right direction but wants it to be more strict. For her, this sets the district up for a year of frustration.
"If we don't revisit this before the end of the school year, we are going to be losing another year of student learning," she said.
Hathaway feels that teachers have been clear about a desire not to police the phones because it creates conflict with students.
"They want to have a relationship with their students and the students don't have, literally, do not have the mental wiring in place to use good judgment and to set aside the phones when the learning is taking place," she said.
"So I don't think this is enough."
At the beginning of the meeting, Curtis clarified Bishop's change in title from deputy superintendent.
"I did initially name Dr. Bishop an interim deputy superintendent as to ensure that there was no confusion with the new role I was proposing. It did seem that in some circles within our community, it did cause the confusion that I was trying to avoid,"
"So as I decided that Dr. Bishop should stay on with us for the entire school year, we would begin a search in January or February of 2025, I thought a switch back to the position that was approved in the FY25 budget, the approved title, was necessary to hopefully cease any confusion in our community."
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