14 August 8 - 14, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents W I N GW E E K DA L L A S . C O M coming a part of the school’s culture. “It really has become a part of what we do. It’s just a part of being a Forest Meadow Charger,” Burt said at the June school board meeting. Not Everyone Wants the Pouch Teachers, parents and students have mixed reviews on the Yondr system. One concern is that parents may need to contact their student with important infor- mation or in case of an emergency, such as a lockdown or school shooting. There were 349 firearm-related events in 2023 across American schools, breaking the record for the third straight year, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. Richardson ISD said that every RISD secondary student is issued a Chromebook that can be used to email parents if they need to communicate during the school day. Parents may also call the school and request a message be delivered to their child during normal school times. Superintendent Branum said in a 2022 video that “in the event of a school lock- down, our staff will have the ability to un- lock the Yondr pouch as soon as it is safe, so students can contact their parents to let them know they are okay.” RISD also says that law enforcement does not want students on their cellphones during a lockdown, when “students should be focused on staying quiet and out of sight behind a locked door.” Still, phones can be necessary for calling 911 quickly in emergency situations where a lockdown may not yet be in effect. An online petition against the Yondr pouches at DISD’s Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy, which has ro- cured over 1,700 signatures, highlights the need for “IMMEDIATE” contact with fami- lies during emergencies. Stephanie Oulundsen, whose daughter will be a junior at Lake Highlands High School, said that Yondr implementation was ineffective last year. “There were absolutely no aspects of the [Y]ondr that worked,” she said. “The kids figured out how to open it the first day. It was nothing but a waste of time and money.” Students have figured out a variety of ways to skirt the system. They can insert a dummy phone, say they left their phone at home, pretend to close the pouch or bend the pin on the pouch so it will not seal. Some claim that neodymium magnets can open the pouch, as one TikTok appears to show. The magnets are available on Amazon for $19.99. Oulundsen plans for her daughter to keep her phone. “If the school objects we will put her in private school,” she says. Another criticism is that the cost of Yondr pouches could be put toward other resources to help students succeed. Rich- ardson ISD will spend about $17 per student on the pouches, according to last year’s board meeting at which the district ex- panded the program to five schools. The money comes from the Superinten- dent Enhancement Fund, according to Bra- num. This fund is usually used for unexpected costs, like a sports team going to the playoffs. “This is what [principals] are saying is their priority and how they want those sec- ondary priority funds to be spent,” said Bra- num. “That’s how committed we are to that.” A teacher at Richardson High School, who asked that we not use her name, said that phones are a problem but she is not sure that Yondr is the solution. “I would personally rather teach the high-school students how to use [phones] properly than shut them down completely,” she said. “But I think it’s a great system for junior high students.” At the June board meeting, Trustee Me- gan Timme said, “I do not think, as educa- tors, it is our job to teach [students] how to use something we did not give them.” Richardson ISD is using data to back up its approach. In Yondr-using schools, 89.9% of teachers agree or strongly agree that im- plementation of the Yondr system has been effective. Most teachers said they got 10 minutes back of instructional time in a 75-minute class period, according to Super- intendent Branum. Discipline has also improved at Yondr campuses. Lake Highlands High School saw a 42% decrease in out-of-school suspension (OSS) and an 8% decrease in in-school sus- pension. Apollo Junior High School experi- enced a 74% drop in OSS. This compliance improvement frees up time for school staff to dedicate to other tasks. “In our efforts in having a cellphone-free classroom, what it meant on an administra- tive standpoint, before Yondr, honestly, was just a tremendous amount of time being spent making sure that we were there for our teachers,” helping with phone disci- pline, said Masud Shamsid-Deen, Assistant Principal at Lake Highlands High School during the June meeting. It is no surprise that most students want to keep their phones. In Yonder schools, 81% of students disagreed with the measure’s implementation. Few studies have been dedicated to un- derstanding the effect of phone-free policies on students. One study found that anxiety levels increased during phone-free days, as people tend to form such attachment to their phones that separation causes stress. Another saw a decrease of 12–18% in bully- ing instances when phone-free school days were implemented. The division between school staff, stu- dents and parents has led to some frustra- tion. “As a teacher, the most frustrating part is the parents who aren’t willing to partner with us and do what’s best for their chil- dren,” said a Richardson High School teacher. “Every teacher I know is amazing and hard-working, but it seems like the par- ents just want to blame us instead of work- ing with us to help their children be successful.” “Some students will have concerns,” Branum said, “but we are steadfast that this is the right decision to support the growth of our students, both academically and as individuals who are part of a school community.” Unfair Park from p12