CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — As the school year begins, parents in Metro Atlanta are expressing worries about school districts changing their cell phone policies.
Earlier this week, Fayette County Schools decided to put "cell phone caddies" in classrooms to store students' phones.
A Cherokee County parent posted on social media this week stating their child might have to do the same in their high school classroom. The parent called the policy "disturbing."
That post garnered hundreds of responses from parents with different opinions, including an anonymous parent who spoke with 11Alive on Friday.
“[Students are] getting in trouble for the same thing over and over and over before any real consequence," the parent said. "Then some parents would get mad because their kid has to have their phone. I’m like... not really."
Cherokee County School District officials said it is up to the individual teacher to require students to put phones in a basket during class or limit cell phone use.
The anonymous parent who is also a former Cherokee County teacher believes that cell phone rules could help students remain focused.
“A distraction is an understatement," she said. "They’re snapchatting or they’re on another website... it’s just one more tool for them to be off task."
Other parents argue students should have cell phones on them in case of an emergency.
A parent suggested that cell phone rules should not be a policy, but a consequence. They wrote, “If we require active shooter drills, it is beyond irresponsible to believe students can have any [peace] of mind knowing that in an emergency they don’t have access to their one tool for calling for help.”
Another concerned parent believes that cell phones are personal property and only rules should be applied.
“Personally I don’t think this is right. It’s personal property. Implement rules and set consequences for having a phone out of your bag during class," the parent stated.
While another parent that reached out to 11Alive is not in favor of the caddy policy, they still believe phones cause a distraction.
The former teacher who spoke with us on the phone responded to the question of what to do in emergencies, saying:
“I don’t know that we can plan for every eventuality, but honestly, they could grab their phone from a caddy and there’s enough calls coming in to 911," she said.
Cobb, Clayton, and DeKalb schools all have similar policies in place, requiring phones to be turned off and out of sight. Clayton also includes that policy on buses.
Atlanta Public School students need written consent from a parent or guardian to have a phone on them, but cannot use their phone throughout the day.
Gwinnett County Schools is a Bring Your Own Device district, which allows students to use their phone in class for instructional purposes. Each school or class can still decide on when to use the devices.
"Kids don’t need phones 24/7. They’re dependent on that and I think it’s a distraction. They’re learning," the former teacher added.
Each metro Atlanta school district should have a school manual where cellphone policies can be found.