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Students at embattled Brockton High will soon have to lock up their phones
Members of the Brockton School Committee unanimously approved the new cell phone policy this week.
Amidst ongoing problems with unruly brawls among students, school officials approved a new cell phone policy for Brockton High School this week, which will require students to lock their devices in special pouches during the school day.
Members of the Brockton School Committee unanimously passed the policy during their meeting on Tuesday. Earlier in the evening, members discussed multiple versions of the policy and talked through various aspects of its implementation at a subcommittee meeting.
Brockton High, the largest in the state, has been working to manage a situation where fights reportedly can occur multiple times per week and students rush to film the altercations on their phones. In January, dozens of staff members described to the School Committee how the violence is escalating and detailed the impact it is having on teachers and students.
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Some School Committee members responded by writing to Mayor Robert Sullivan with a request for help from the National Guard. Gov. Maura Healey later said that deployment of the National Guard would not be “appropriate.” The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is funding a safety audit for the high school.
In the meantime, incidents of violence persist. On Monday, a teacher was injured after getting involved in a fight between students. That educator reportedly suffered a concussion while trying to break up the fight. The fight was recorded on video by another teacher, WHDH reported.
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The problems are exacerbated by staffing shortages and a lack of substitute teachers, staff members have said. School officials say that a small number of students are responsible for the violence, and that disciplinary actions need to be enforced more rigorously.
The cell phone policy that officials voted on this week had been through multiple drafts over about a month. Staff members were given the chance to add their feedback, and that was incorporated into the most recent draft. At least 88 staff members offered their input, which was “overwhelmingly positive,” Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning Michele Conners said during Tuesday’s subcommittee meeting.
Students will be assigned pouches made by Yondr, a company that works to create “phone-free spaces for artists, educators, organizations and individuals.” As of last May, almost 50 Massachusetts schools were using Yondr, The Boston Globe reported. This includes schools in Holyoke, Salem, Springfield, Chicopee, and Newton.
Each student will be responsible for bringing their pouch to school every day. Before classes start, they will have to turn their devices off and place them inside the pouches. Staff members will oversee the process to make sure the phones are secured. Students will keep the pouches with them throughout the day, and will be able to unlock them by tapping them on a special Yondr device before they go home.
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Small earbuds will also have to be placed in the pouches. Students will not be required to lock away their smart watches, since these do not have the same capabilities as phones, and staff said that they were not a concern.
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Officials stressed the importance of rolling out the policy gradually to see what works about it and what needs to be adjusted.
Brockton officials did voice concerns that students could bring old phones to lock away in the pouches in an attempt to trick staff members, while they use their current phones surreptitiously. The pouches could end up working more effectively as a deterrent, Conners said.
“Our students, as we know, are amazing. I think that you’ll find they don’t want to put it in a pouch that’s locked, but they’ll put it away. [Students will say,] ‘If I know the consequences, I’ll have to lock it in a pouch, and it’s controlled, let me just put it away. You won’t see it I promise. And if you do see it, you’re right, I have to put it in a locked pouch,’” she said.
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