As we are all aware, Arlington Career Center and other high schools joined the countywide initiative to implement Yondr phone pouches. Beginning Thursday, September 4, students were no longer allowed to access their phones during the school day bell schedule from 8:00 to 3:00. Many of us are interested in tracking this new development, so we reached out to students and staff for their feedback.
According to a survey the Chronicle conducted in the past few weeks, every respondent was unhappy with the implementation. Some weren’t surprised, and others even support the goal behind the pouches, but believe that there isn’t enough of a change. An anonymous student said, “I think it is important not to have unlimited access to phones. There is a blockage of education due to phones, but what they are doing right now is not working.”
We were curious as to whether any students’ opinions changed after having the pouches for a few weeks, but the majority of students are still disappointed with the pouches. Another anonymous respondent stated, “Now I’m just amused at the futility of this policy.” Another said, “I have gotten over the initial shock of adjusting to it, but that doesn’t mean I like it or want it to stay.”
Students report that the main issues with the system are that students dislike having their property taken away, as they are unable to access phones in specific situations (like an emergency, needing to take a picture/record, or for Capstone or a job), and they find the system ineffective in general.
One student, Josh Brannon, said, “My biggest objection is that I feel the school is effectively taking our property away—even if we still have the phone, being unable to use it is about as good as not having it—and it feels like an invasion of privacy.” He believes that students should face consequences for phone usage, but “There is a very slim, but still existent, chance that this could wind up as a slippery-slope situation where the pouches pave the way for more blatant violations of our individual liberties as students.”
Another student commented on the flaws of the system itself, saying that “It isn’t effective at all, and it has made me late for first period two times, since there were a bunch of people, and now we have to take our phones out and show them to the person at the door. Like, they’re just adding extra steps, and the students who really want to use their phones will just find a way around the pouch.” Many others share this sentiment and believe that the pouches won’t stop students from accessing their phones, and have even seen others bypassing the rules already. This leads many students to believe that the system is a waste of time and money that could be spent elsewhere to better effect.
In conclusion, ACC students are generally feeling exasperated and discontented with the new policy. Nearly every single respondent finds the system unsustainable, and multiple believe that it won’t last. A solution proposed by one respondent includes having a magnet in each classroom so that it’s up to the teacher’s discretion how students should use their phones. Another idea is that we should get rid of the pouches altogether and return to the policy of teachers taking students’ phones away if they don’t follow their rules. However, there is clearly a problem with the current system, as multiple respondents claim that they personally know individuals getting around the rules.
As Brannon says, “At that point, if everyone is breaking the rules and getting off scot-free, are they really rules anymore?”
Dr. Swann wants to remind students to bring their Yondr pouches with their ID badges every day, and return the stolen lock box that’s been missing from trailer one for a month.
Stay tuned–we’ll have a follow-up article to compare opinions in the 3rd quarter!
