The Waterville Central School District is hosting a community forum to discuss cell phones in our schools on Thursday, August 8, at 6 p.m. in the Waterville Jr./Sr. High School auditorium.
A panel of experts will be featured at the meeting and members of the public will be able to listen and take part in meaningful discussions. The panelists include David Blanchard, Superintendent of the Schoharie Central School District – an early adopter of the Yondr phone pouch system, Jenn Dodge, Vice President of the Waterville Teachers Association, a member of law enforcement and a mental health expert.
The district and the Waterville Board of Education, specifically the board’s Wellness Committee, has been discussing the use of cell phones in schools for several months. The Waterville Teachers Association talked about the topic extensively at a committee meeting in June and recently conducted a survey of its teachers which indicated 80% were in support of a distraction-free environment.
The board, the district and the teachers union are united in their efforts to create and sustain a positive school climate and an environment that prioritizes academic achievement and the overall well-being of our students and staff.
“Our board is committed to transparency and cooperation with the public to fulfill the mission of the district as a partnership of students, staff, families, and the community. We understand this may be a sensitive topic for some within our district and therefore we want to explore the issues collaboratively in a public setting. The community should be reassured their input and feedback in this process is integral. However, the faculty, staff, administration, and board are shoulder-to-shoulder on providing a distraction-free learning environment. We need support and commitment from families and the community to do what is best for our students and staff,” said board president Dan Nichols.
“The faculty and staff at the Jr./Sr. High School are in full support of removing the access to cell phones during the school day. Cell phone usage during instructional time has decreased student participation, impacted attention to instructional tasks, work productivity as well as having an impact on our students social and emotional wellbeing,” the Waterville Teachers Association said in a statement.
“We are looking to increase student engagement, minimize distractions to the academic learning environment and improve peer-to-peer relationships. I am thrilled we are exploring how to address these critical issues together,” said Dr. Jennifer Spring, Superintendent.
The district and the board regularly review policies and procedures. The current mobile device policy can be found here.
A schedule reminder will be sent closer to the meeting date.
The meeting will be recorded and posted on the district’s YouTube page but it will not be able to be livestreamed.