Worcester School Committee OKs new cellphone policy; hears 'gender support plan' proposal
WORCESTER ― The School Committee on Thursday night voted without debate to approve a new cellphone policy that will go into effect next school year.
Member Molly McCullough said that after "many discussions," the new policy was developed within the Standing Committee Finance, Operations and Governance, which she chairs.
In September, then-School Committee member Tracy O’Connell-Novick advocated for a new policy, calling the existing one “fairly draconian” and outdated. The policy approved Thursday combines O’Connell-Novick's suggestions with additions about the usage of earbuds.
More: Worcester is considering a new policy on cellphones in school. Here's what to know
Members Dianna Biancheria, Kathleen Roy and Maureen Binienda supported holding the new policy so it could be discussed on the floor. However, a motion to do so did not pass, and the committee approved the policy by a 5-3 vote.
The new policy states that cellphones, smartphones, tablets, earbuds and cameras are to be used in school for educational purposes only, at the discretion of the classroom teacher and building administrator.
Students will not be able to use cellphones to communicate with their parents during class time. Any urgent communication between a parent and a student is expected to be done through the school office.
As for headphones and earbuds, the policy states that they are only acceptable for listening to educational podcasts and audiobooks, participating in remote learning sessions or using language learning applications or educational software.
Students can use wireless and corded earbuds during noninstructional times, including lunch, as long as it does not disrupt other students or teachers.
Gender support plan for the secondary level
Also on Thursday, a teacher from Burncoat High School advocated for a gender support plan to be implemented at the secondary level in Worcester Public Schools at Thursday's school committee meeting. Special education teacher Andrew Willis said a gender support plan had also been presented to the school district about two years ago.
Gender support plans are detailed forms intended to "create a shared understanding among school staff, parents and a student about the ways in which the student's authentic gender will be accounted for and supported at school," according to Gender Spectrum, a national pro-LGBTQ+ nonprofit that provides training and guidance for schools.
"The point of a gender support plan is when you have students who have a gender or gender identity that is different than what their sex assigned at birth was, or if there is a change in pronouns they wish to be used, this would give the students the opportunity to advocate for themselves in school," Willis said. "[It's] best run by a counselor and potentially someone who runs the [Gay-Straight Alliance] who has more experience with some of these items."
The framework can help schools address the needs of transgender and nonbinary students, who often struggle with support, Willis said.
"You have teachers who want to use the right pronouns, but they don't know which ones they are supposed to be using," Willis said. "There's no specific process for that to happen right now."
Willis said his students went through the form before he presented it to be sure the students had felt comfortable with it.
"I'm hoping there's a way this can be taken up by the district or by the school committee," Willis said. "The people who I originally put this forward for are graduating next month, so, hopefully, we'll have it in place for the next set of students."
The committee sent the petition to the Standing Committee on Teaching, Learning and Student Supports.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester School Committee approves new cellphone policy
