Latest news with #schoolpolicy
CBS News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Forest Lake Area School District debates repealing ban on clothing displaying certain symbols
This school district may repeal a ban on clothing with swastikas and KKK signs This school district may repeal a ban on clothing with swastikas and KKK signs This school district may repeal a ban on clothing with swastikas and KKK signs A northern Twin Cities metro school dress code debate is drawing large crowds and criticism at a school board meeting on Thursday. Forest Lake school leaders are considering repealing the ban on wearing clothing that displays the Confederate flag, swastika and KKK signs. "It will 100% impact the decision on where I send my children," said one parent at Thursday's school board meeting. It's a tense topic at the Forest Lake Area School District school board meeting. "The proposed dress code changes are based on the Minnesota school board association policy," said President Curt Rebelein to the crowd. "And 99% of schools in Minnesota" Rebelein discussed a dress code policy that would mirror the association's language. That language removes specific bans on symbols like the KKK, Confederate flag and more. "Based on directives from the Supreme Court of the United States and provides latitude for student expression and limitations around to ensure a positive learning environment for all students," he said. The board room wasn't even big enough for the size of the crowd that showed up on Thursday. The meeting was filled with students and former board members. "Where do we draw the line? Where?" one student told WCCO. "We need to start going back the direction of making every child feel included," said a former board member. Even a former superintendent attended. They were a teacher at the time the initial dress code was created, after an African American student was assaulted by students in 1997. The next day, students wore white shirts showing support of the incident. "It has bounced back and forth, which is why it's getting so much attention," the former board member said.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Yahoo
Fulton County school board approves policy that restricts K-8 students from using electronics
On Wednesday, the Fulton County School Board voted in favor of a new policy that would restrict K-8 students from using their electronic devices during the upcoming school year. 'Such as laptops, cell phones, Google glasses, Apple watches for use during instructional time,' Fulton County Chief Communication Officer Brian Noyes said. Noyes says that during the past year, students already adhered to a student code of conduct that restricted lower-grade students from using electronic devices. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The new change now includes middle school students in Fulton County. Noyes adds that high school students in Fulton County schools don't typically use personal electronics during instructional time unless teachers approve. Atlanta Public Schools officials recently said they are considering changes for how to manage cell phone use among high school students. TRENDING STORIES: Swimmer airlifted to Savannah area hospital after being bitten by shark Deaths of couple who vanished on Lake Oconee spawning massive search ruled accidental Man tries to break into Cobb County home while woman was in bed, police say [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Irish Times
17-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Are school smartphone bans effective in improving the atmosphere? ‘Not a silver bullet, but they're a start'
When Eileen O'Donnell, principal of St Raphaela's Secondary School in Stillorgan, decided to ban mobile phones , her motivation wasn't falling grades or classroom distractions – it was the eerie quiet at breaktimes. 'After Covid, especially, there was less interaction and socialising among students,' says O'Donnell. 'Some didn't know how to sit around and have a laugh with their friends, and the phone was a crutch. Or you'd see little huddles of students gathered around their phones.' These days, students' phones are locked away in secure pouches in the morning and can only be accessed when the school day ends. Breaktimes have been much noisier since. 'We worked with the student council to ensure their voices were heard ... the senior students, in particular, felt a sense of relief in not having them. There is a huge temptation to use them if they are there and to go down rabbit holes.' READ MORE Banning smartphones in schools has become an increasingly popular move for principals looking to improve children's education, concentration and wellbeing. Minister for Education Helen McEntee last week directed that post-primary schools must implement a policy to restrict mobile phone use during the school day. 'Having engaged with many different school communities across the country, I am confident that this policy will support student wellbeing, engagement and their interaction with their peers, while also recognising the experience and expertise of school communities and the need for consultation,' she said. Yet, the latest international research suggests that smartphone bans have little or no impact on education, cyberbullying and wellbeing among students. A Dublin City University (DCU) report published today concludes that any studies that suggest a ban are often found to 'over rely on correlations and/or overstate small percentages and/or causality to justify their conclusions'. The findings of some studies are cited selectively. For example, it says a Unesco report – Global Education Monitoring Report 2023 – has been referenced by previous minster for education Norma Foley as a basis for a ban on smartphones in schools. While the Unesco report did highlight the risk of distraction and lower student engagement, it did not recommend a blanket ban. It emphasised the 'balance between managing risks associated with technology and preparing students for a digital future'. Despite this, many schools that have introduced bans feel they have significantly helped change the school atmosphere for the better. 'You can't deny that it is better, socially, for students,' says one principal, who asked not to be named. 'They still have their phones, before and after school, so I'm not surprised that there are still issues with wellbeing and cyberbullying. School bans are not a silver bullet, but they're a start.' The DCU report – which includes sampling the views of pupils in Irish schools – also notes that students' voices have not been included in decision-making on smartphone restrictions or bans within schools, but they want to have a say in decisions on these aspects of their school lives. 'There are more pressing issues for students than smartphone use in schools that students were concerned about, such as school facilities and health concerns,' the study noted. It is a sentiment with which Kevin Shortall, principal of St Aidan's Community School in Tallaght, Dublin, agrees. He says the school has deliberately had a 'laissez-faire' approach until now. 'We have no digital resources or one-to-one devices here, so phones have been useful for students, especially those students whose first language isn't English,' he said. 'Teachers can say, 'take out your phones and look at Google Classroom' ... In schools that have one-to-one devices, it's the parents that buy them. That's not possible for all school communities.' Any issues with phones or social media – such as cyberbullying or pupils being excluded from groups – happens outside of school time. The key, says Shortall, is educating students to better navigate the digital world. 'Yes, some kids take them out too many times, but banning them is like saying we'll ban walls, just because someone has written graffiti on them. I don't believe they are the big worry in schools that people think they are. There's a wider issue – we're less mindful and we're all addicted to them – but that's true of society generally.'
Fox News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Massachusetts school officials under fire for working to ban religious groups from renting facilities
A Massachusetts town is facing backlash and a potential lawsuit for a school committee proposal trying to ban religious organizations and churches from renting public school space. A letter from the Massachusetts Liberty Legal Center, addressed to the members of the Salem School Committee, says that the committee is discriminating against House of Promise Church and other religious groups over a proposal, Policy 3204, that would ban religious institutions from renting or leasing space in Salem Public Schools. The proposal, included in the Salem School Committee's May 19, 2025, meeting minutes, reads, "Leases and rentals not being granted to religious organizations was added to the policy to address concerns that there may be religious organizations with values that do not align to the district's values." "I write on behalf of my client, House of Promise Church, to demand that you immediately cease any effort to discriminate against it or any other religious organization based on their religious beliefs and viewpoints," Sam Whiting, counsel of the Massachusetts Liberty Legal Center (MLLC), wrote in a June 9 letter. "It is our understanding that you are in the process of approving a policy that would ban religious organizations, and only religious organizations, from renting or leasing space in Salem Public Schools," the letter reads. "This would constitute a clear First Amendment violation. Should you pass and implement this policy, we will take immediate legal action to preserve my client's rights." The MLLC letter contends that the House of Promise Church, which has reserved space in Collins Middle School auditorium for Sunday services, is being singled out. "House of Promise Church is a non-denominational Christian church that has reserved space in the auditorium of Collins Middle School for Sunday worship services for a number of years," the letter reads. It adds that the church has "used the online public reservation portal to do so. During that time, it has never received any complaints or negative feedback about its use of the property. Many other organizations also rent space from Salem Public Schools for their meetings and activities, such as the Boys and Girls Club, a daycare, and various afterschool programs." The members of the Salem School Committee reportedly voted to advance the policy on June 2 and are expected to pass the policy in a vote Tuesday. "In a conversation with Pastor Hyatt after the June 2nd meeting adjourned, Superintendent Zrike expressed that it was his understanding that if the policy passes, House of Promise Church will be immediately barred from renting space at Salem Public Schools and any current reservations will be cancelled," the letter reads. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Whiting said that the proposal is in direct violation of the First Amendment, with a nod to Salem's infamous witch trials in the 1600s. "We are astounded by Salem's blatant violation of the First Amendment, which violates decades of clear legal precedent," Whiting said. "Apparently, someone needed to inform Salem that our Constitution doesn't allow for anti-Christian witch hunts. We trust that our letter will do the trick and that the Salem School Committee will vote to reject this discriminatory policy." House of Promise Church pastor Richard Hyatt told Fox News Digital that he is "deeply troubled" by the new policy to exclude religious organizations. "To be clear, the only religious organizations currently using these buildings are churches—and no one else. Meanwhile, more than 100 secular institutions continue to have access with no threat of exclusion. This selective treatment tells me that we are not being judged on our behavior or impact, but solely on our religious identity and beliefs," Hyatt said. He added that if the proposal advances, the church will "not hesitate to pursue all legal avenues to defend our rights under the First Amendment and Massachusetts law." Fox News Digital reached out to the Salem School Committee and Superintendent Stephen Zrike for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Parents hit out at 'prison' shutters on toilets during lessons at York school
PARENTS have hit out after York's largest school installed shutters across all the main toilets to prevent pupils from using them during lessons. Archbishop Holgate's School has put in pull-down shutters so the five main toilet areas across the Hull Road site cannot be used by its 1,900 students when they should be in class and the toilets are unsupervised. Photos taken by pupils of the new measures prompted the launch of a 'scrap the shutters' petition. It has been signed by more than 343 people and calls on the school 'to help give our kids their basic human right to use a toilet in school back'. The shutters prevent access to the toilets during lesson times when the main toilet areas are not supervised. Image: teacher Lucie Pond sought to reassure parents, saying there was no toilet ban and no change to the toilet policy, but the shutters had been installed for 'safeguarding reasons'. Students are encouraged to take comfort breaks during the 20-minute morning break and the 40-minute lunch period when the main toilets are unlocked and monitored. An accessible toilet is also available in every building, in areas where staff are present, for anyone who needs it throughout the day. Mrs Pond told The Press: 'We have seen an increasing amount of vandalism in the toilets. That comes with a cost in terms of staff and repair and replacement costs. Equally, these are areas of school that are unsupervised during lesson time so for safeguarding, we feel it is necessary to not have them open." RECOMMENDED READS: 'The world is changing': head at top York school joins others in smartphone plea Top North Yorkshire school set to expand and change its name 'Fantastic news' as more than 5,000 children eligible for free school meals She said shutters were chosen because a door would not have been wide enough to fill the large gap that leads to the toilets. But some parents who backed the petition said the school now looks like a prison while others criticised the 'waste of money'. Others voiced concerns for children who need unrestricted toilet access for medical reasons; for girls at certain times of the month who might be too embarrassed to ask to go; and for pupils who may have accidents if not allowed to take comfort breaks when they need to. Andrew Fraser told The Press one of his daughters had sent him a photo of the locked-up toilets at the end of the first day back at school and he had contacted the school and board of governors. "They told me children have locked themselves in the toilets to miss lessons – but that's what every generation of children going to school has done. 'All the girls are disgusted by it. If they have a period, they are unable to get into the toilets. They are expecting the whole school to go in the break and lunch times. 'These shutters wouldn't have been cheap. They could have got two staff members to patrol the toilets instead. 'I have three children going through the school and a fourth who would be going there but, at the moment, we are not even thinking about it.' In her letter to parents, Mrs Pond said: 'Teachers are trusted to use their professional judgement when students ask to leave lessons to use the toilet. If permission is granted, students are issued a pass allowing them to access the designated toilets that remain open. 'Any student with a medical pass is allowed to leave lessons as frequently as needed and without question. 'We fully recognise that there will be times when students need to go during lessons. Our aim is to balance the genuine needs of students with our responsibility to ensure a safe, secure, and well-supervised environment for all.'
