Sixth grade boys caught texting in class

[JDX4]

A friend of mine told me about a situation that happened a few days ago at our local elementary school, and I thought it would be interesting to get your opinions.

Here's what happened: 3 sixth grade boys were texting on their cellphones during school hours. One of the boys got caught "mid-text" and got his phone taken away by the teacher, who then gave the phone to the principal.

The principal apparently scrolled through the texts and found out that these 3 boys had been texting back and forth about her (the principal) during school hours and had been calling her some very DIS-unfriendly names. The boys parents were called into school, and the kids are receiving some sort of school punishment.

Well, the parents of these 3 boys were discussing the situation on the playground after school, and they said that although they know their kids shouldn't haven been texting in school they are upset that the principal read the texts. They say she had no right to go through the phone, and that she violated the boys' rights. There was even talk of calling the superintendent of schools and a lawyer.

What do you think about this situation?

 

[DisneyScraps]

Of ciorse they are going to call a lawyer.

Lisa

 

[Carly_Roach]

No worse than passing notes back and forth. The Principal would read those, too.

Moral: If you don't want to lose your phone and/or any private messages on it, don't be using it when you shouldn't be.

 

[Buckalew11]

I have no idea, really. While I do not think a teacer or principal should scroll through and read the text, it isn't much different than when we used to pass notes and they'd read our "private" notes. This is just the high-tech todays' version.

Honestly, I think the parents' should be more upset with the kids breaking the rules of the school policy. Parents today think so differently than our parents used to (I'm old so this may be beyond what you know, lol) I think their getting a lawyer is a waste of time and money. I think they should tell their kids to follow the rules or the phone will be taken away. JMHO.

 

[Teacher03]

Let's divert the attention away from what the boys did and put the attention on what the principal did..........I see this all too often as an educator and it is the parents making excuses for their kids behavior. When the boys were texting back and forth to one another during school, the principal had every right to read the texts. I hope the superintendent does the right thing and stands by the principal.

 

[aprilgail2]

If they were not permitted to have cell phones in class and were caught then all is fair IMO. At our Jr. High school if you are caught with a cell phone in the classroom they are taken away and the last day of the school year your parents can come up to the school and get them! the kids learned quick to keep them on off and in their backpacks if they needed them for after school!

 

[MichelleVW]

A friend of mine told me about a situation that happened a few days ago at our local elementary school, and I thought it would be interesting to get your opinions.

Here's what happened: 3 sixth grade boys were texting on their cellphones during school hours. One of the boys got caught "mid-text" and got his phone taken away by the teacher, who then gave the phone to the principal.

The principal apparently scrolled through the texts and found out that these 3 boys had been texting back and forth about her (the principal) during school hours and had been calling her some very DIS-unfriendly names. The boys parents were called into school, and the kids are receiving some sort of school punishment.

Well, the parents of these 3 boys were discussing the situation on the playground after school, and they said that although they know their kids shouldn't haven been texting in school they are upset that the principal read the texts. They say she had no right to go through the phone, and that she violated the boys' rights. There was even talk of calling the superintendent of schools and a lawyer.

What do you think about this situation?

I personally would have been very peeved if they scrolled through my kids phone and read their texts.

 

[penn19]

My first reaction would be, wouldn't it be the same as when we were younger passing notes back and forth? If the teacher caught you, of course they would read it. But back then there weren't cell phones, so I am sure they have their own set of laws.
But isn't that how a lot of people get caught doing "wrong"? People look at other peoples cellphones, computers etc....and if there are naked pictures they get turned in.
The parents are mad because their kids got in trouble and instead of being mad at their kids, they are going to turn it around and make it someone elses fault.
I am sure someone else will have a different view!

 

[jrmasm]

I have no idea, really. While I do not think a teacer or principal should scroll through and read the text, it isn't much different than when we used to pass notes and they'd read our "private" notes. This is just the high-tech todays' version.

Honestly, I think the parents' should be more upset with the kids breaking the rules of the school policy. Parents today think so differently than our parents used to (I'm old so this may be beyond what you know, lol) I think their getting a lawyer is a waste of time and money. I think they should tell their kids to follow the rules or the phone will be taken away. JMHO.

Some.

If my 10th grader got busted texting in school, I wouldn't waste a minute of my time listening to her complain about the principal reading her texts. I would too busy figuring out how to punish her.

 

[Magpie]

A friend of mine told me about a situation that happened a few days ago at our local elementary school, and I thought it would be interesting to get your opinions.

Here's what happened: 3 sixth grade boys were texting on their cellphones during school hours. One of the boys got caught "mid-text" and got his phone taken away by the teacher, who then gave the phone to the principal.

The principal apparently scrolled through the texts and found out that these 3 boys had been texting back and forth about her (the principal) during school hours and had been calling her some very DIS-unfriendly names. The boys parents were called into school, and the kids are receiving some sort of school punishment.

Well, the parents of these 3 boys were discussing the situation on the playground after school, and they said that although they know their kids shouldn't haven been texting in school they are upset that the principal read the texts. They say she had no right to go through the phone, and that she violated the boys' rights. There was even talk of calling the superintendent of schools and a lawyer.

What do you think about this situation?

I think it would be fascinating if they did bring this to the courts. What it basically comes down to is - what expectation of privacy do children have in school? When their lockers and backpacks and purses, and sometimes even their bodies, can be searched...

These boys are apparently only being punished for what they did on the phones during school hours. I think it's a grey area. Children have very few personal rights once they're inside a school building. It's already been established that they're not entitled to the same level of privacy that adults enjoy.

 

[Mkrop]

I would be ticked off at my son, not the principal. As others said it is similar to notes. I also have been teaching my son that in this high tech world you dont put anything out there. Yes maybe they dislike the teacher/prinicpal and are frustrated with them-fine dont put it on paper, in a text, on Facebook, or in our school's case the bathroom wall. Be mad privately and face to face venting.

 

[Wishing on a star]

OMG... texting about the principal!!!
That truly is abhorrant!!!
And, why in the heck are kids using cellphones at school!!!

However, I have to say this.

No, NO, NO.....
A cell-phone is not a child's note. More like a sealed letter, which can not be opened by anyone else...

And, giving schools carte-blanche to go thru the stuff in a private cell phone is no less that SCARY!!!!!

Even our national security agencies (suppossedly) have limited authorization to phone access. And, of course, any other agency must have a specific case-by-case warrant.

No matter HOW abhorrant it is what the boys were doing... There is no way that any school staff should have turned on the phones and pulled up any information....

Confiscate the phone(s) - YES.
Have the parents required to pick up the phone(s) Very, very, strongly suggest the parents pull up the latest messages, and ask for permission to see anything that might warrant the schools attention... YES

But, no way, no how, nobody warrants open access to private info like that.

 

[shortbun]

Texting in school should not be allowed but our high schools here are allowing it via not enforcing the rule; it's a peaceful activity and keeps kids from being disruptive sometimes. My son's high school allowed it at lunch and often the teachers allowed it at the end of classes when kids might be doing homework or working on projects. I never liked that teachers read notes when I was in school; it felt like an invasion of my privacy and often they used the notes to humiliate which I am really against. What was the principal looking for? I can think of no really important reason for the scroll. The boys should keep their phones in their backpacks, turned off and if they can not do that...they should lose their phones and their parents should have to come for them-each time. After a few times of having to come get the phone, the parents will be telling their child to keep the phone put away and other kids will know to keep theirs away too.
I think any lawyer they contact will tell them it's not worth their time. It might be an interesting thing to follow though.

 

[Mkrop]

OMG... sexting about the principal!!! That truly is abhorrant!!!
And, why in the heck are kids using cellphones at school!!!

However, I have to say this.

No, NO, NO.....
A cell-phone is not a child's note. More like a sealed letter, which can not be opened by anyone else...

And, giving schools carte-blanche to go thru the stuff in a private cell phone is no less that SCARY!!!!!

Even our national security agencies (suppossedly) have limited authorization to phone access. And, of course, any other agency must have a specific case-by-case warrant.

No matter HOW abhorrant it is what the boys were doing... There is no way that any school staff should have turned on the phones and pulled up any information....

Confiscate the phone(s) - YES.
Have the parents required to pick up the phone(s) Very, very, strongly suggest the parents pull up the latest messages, and ask for permission to see anything that might warrant the schools attention... YES

But, no way, no how, nobody warrants open access to private info like that.

Where did it say sexting? It said there were texts ABOUT the prinicpal. They could have been everything to she/he is the biggest jerk on earth to something more serious but to immediately go there seems odd.

 

[pioneer89]

I think the correct reaction should be to contact the school board or superintendant and request that a policy be put into place. If there is already a policy about school staff looking at cell phones, and the principal violated it, then that's a different story.

It also depends on what was on the screen in plain view when the phone was taken. If anything looked like a potential threat or safety issue, then I feel the principal may have been justified in scrolling back to read more. But who knows, if there was something that made the principal feel justified in scrolling back, I would think it would also make necessary calling the parents immediately

The privacy of minors in a school has been treated very differently than a normal citizens privacy in courts over the years. Things like locker searches, backpack searches, dress restrictions, etc should show that.

 

[DeluxePrincess]

Texts are not the same as our old classroom note passing days. Back in the day, if I passed a note to Sally, it would only contain the immediate communication between me and Sally. If you go through someone's texts, you can read their communication with family members and friends from weeks ago. What if they texted mean comments about the principal on Saturday?

 

[Magpie]

OMG... sexting about the principal!!!

 

[Buckalew11]

Some.

If my 10th grader got busted texting in school, I wouldn't waste a minute of my time listening to her complain about the principal reading her texts. I would too busy figuring out how to punish her.

Yes, should have said "some". Broad brush, sorry. This, after yesterday's experience with a little guy who all but hung from my chandelier, lol. Ugh. And all I hear is how strict his mom is.

OMG... sexting about the principal!!!
That truly is abhorrant!!!
And, why in the heck are kids using cellphones at school!!!

However, I have to say this.

No, NO, NO.....
A cell-phone is not a child's note. More like a sealed letter, which can not be opened by anyone else...

And, giving schools carte-blanche to go thru the stuff in a private cell phone is no less that SCARY!!!!!

Even our national security agencies (suppossedly) have limited authorization to phone access. And, of course, any other agency must have a specific case-by-case warrant.

No matter HOW abhorrant it is what the boys were doing... There is no way that any school staff should have turned on the phones and pulled up any information....

Confiscate the phone(s) - YES.
Have the parents required to pick up the phone(s) Very, very, strongly suggest the parents pull up the latest messages, and ask for permission to see anything that might warrant the schools attention... YES

But, no way, no how, nobody warrants open access to private info like that.

Sexting wasn't mentioned!

The word Sixth and the word texting but no "sexting."

Older kids tend to remove their batteries before handing their phones over to teachers.

 

[VeganCupcake]

The parents are mad because their kids got in trouble and instead of being mad at their kids, they are going to turn it around and make it someone elses fault.

If my child had been texting inappropriate things to his friends I would want to know... but then again, were my son in 6th grade, I personally really wouldn't see the need for him to have texting capabilities on his phone to begin with. My nephew(3rd grade) has texting on his phone and I know he uses his phone during school hours(he called/texted me while he was in school and I told him he is breaking the school rules and unless he is having an emergency there is NO reason for his phone to be on) . My SIL gets mad when he gets in trouble for having the phone on(at the teacher not her son!), but then again she also can't understand his bad grades.

** I also wanted to add- I can see why some parents would be upset about the principal looking through their children's cell phones, for my kids I really wouldn't have a problem with it. I also went to a school where kids would openly talk about what kind of "heat" they were packing so it may be why I have no problem with privacy violations of students when there are in school.

 

[Carly_Roach]

No, NO, NO.....
A cell-phone is not a child's note. More like a sealed letter, which can not be opened by anyone else...
And, giving schools carte-blanche to go thru the stuff in a private cell phone is no less that SCARY!!!!!

Even our national security agencies (suppossedly) have limited authorization to phone access. And, of course, any other agency must have a specific case-by-case warrant.

No matter HOW abhorrant it is what the boys were doing... There is no way that any school staff should have turned on the phones and pulled up any information....

Confiscate the phone(s) - YES.
Have the parents required to pick up the phone(s) Very, very, strongly suggest the parents pull up the latest messages, and ask for permission to see anything that might warrant the schools attention... YES

But, no way, no how, nobody warrants open access to private info like that.

I'll disagree with you for one reason: they were using the phones during class - a method that many students have used to cheat on tests. To say that a school cannot investigate a known method for cheating is ridiculous to me.

And when you add in the fears about school shootings, then we have to double the reason for a principal to review text messages.

Those who are screaming about privacy issues now would likely be the first to scream about why the incompetent principal didn't look at the text messages of the shooter when she had the chance a few weeks earlier and how all those lost lives are on that principal's head.

I'll stand by my first impression: if it's something you shouldn't be doing during school hours then don't do it and you won't have to worry about the repercussions which could include violation of your privacy. School rules have never been that difficult to adhere to and I don't consider the ban on distractions (texts) during class to be unreasonable.