US School Shooting Raises Questions about Classroom Phone Bans

01A mass shooting at an American high school has raised questions about policies restricting cell phone use in classrooms.

02The shooting took place September 4th at Appalachee High School in the southern state of Georgia.

03The suspect was identified as Colt Gray, a 14-year-old student at the school.

04The shooting left two students and two teachers dead.

05Nine others were injured.

06During the shooting, some students at Appalachee High School used cell phones to call their parents to let them know what was happening.

07Others made calls to loved ones to leave messages they thought might end up being final goodbyes.

08Some opponents of cell phone bans in schools have said such situations demonstrate a reason cell phones should not be completely banned from classrooms.

09They believe phone bans can cut off a possible lifeline for parents to make sure their children are safe during school shootings or other emergencies.

10But supporters of such restrictions, including many teachers, say the rules are needed.

11They say cell phones can cause many distractions for students.

12Carrie Rodriguez is president of the National Parents Union, an education activist group.

13She said she understands that parents are deeply concerned about whether or not they're going to get timely information about their kids in emergency situations.

14Rodriguez told the Associated Press, AP, The fact of the matter is parents and families cannot rely on schools to effectively communicate with us in times of emergency.

15And this has happened time and again.

16Nationwide, 77% of U.S.

17schools say they currently ban cell phones for non-school-related work.

18That number comes from the National Center for Education Statistics.

19But experts say the number is misleading and does not necessarily mean students are following the bans or that all schools are effectively enforcing them.

20In the southern state of Arkansas, Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders offered school districts a state-supported financial assistance program.

21It helps administrators buy containers to hold students' phones during the school day.

22In California, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has urged school districts to restrict cell phone use.

23He is considering signing legislation that would require schools to enact restrictions.

24Newsom recently told reporters, I'd hate to see another school shooting be the reason that we bring TVs into the classroom and then disrupt our children's education.

25He explained that permitting school children to have cell phones in school is almost like letting them watch television in class.

26Doing so, Newsom said, can greatly disrupt the learning process.

27But opponents of phone bans say the device can be helpful for students facing dangerous situations at school.

28For example, some students caught in the Appalachee shooting were able to use their phones to contact loved ones during moments they feared could be their last.

29One student, high school junior Julie Sandoval, told the AP she texted her mother from inside the school, I love you.

30I love you so much.

31In another message, she wrote, I'm sorry I'm not the best daughter.

32I love you.

33Sandoval said she heard another student during the shooting speaking with her mother on the phone.

34She was heard saying, They're shooting up the school.

35They're shooting up the school.

36But some supporters of phone restrictions warn that permitting students to use phones during shootings or other emergencies could put them in even more danger.

37Kim Whitman is co-founder of the Phone-Free Schools Movement.

38The group supports school policies to keep cell phones out of students' hands during class.

39What's even more important to me is their safety, Whitman said.

40She noted, for example, that a child on the phone with a loved one during a school emergency might miss important guidance from teachers or school officials.

41That's a worse scenario in my mind, Whitman added.

42Students in other school shootings have used cell phones to inform school officials or parents about the incidents.

43During the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which killed 21 people, a fourth grader called 911 to get help.

44And during a 2018 shooting at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, students used their phones to communicate with loved ones and shoot video of the shooting.

45I'm Brian Lynn.

46I'm Brian Lynn.