DD refused to give up her phone to her teacher and I had to go down to the office

[Anonymous 1]

DD had an amber alert go off during class. Her phone was on silent but the alarm went off anyway. She apologized and the teacher demanded that she hand him her phone. She said no that she would turn it off and put it in her locker or her car during the passing period. He said no that she needed to hand him her phone.

People have had their phones stolen out of teachers desks before at the school. She said she wasnt going to risk it. The teacher got mad and told her that if she didnt hand it over to him he would send her to the principals office. She said okay and just went down there.

The principal demanded that she hand over her phone also. She told him no also and that she would put it in the car or her locker. She even mentioned calling me to have me come pick it up. He said not that she HAD to hand the phone over. The school policy states that phones can not be used during class and they must be on silent. It does not say that students must hand over their phone. The consequences listed are a write up or a detention.

The principal even tried taking it right out of DDs hands while she was trying to call me. I didnt hear much except her struggling to hold onto her phone. I went in there pissed off. There was 0 reason for the principal to try to snatch her phone. If the rules said that the phones would be confiscated I would understand more but that isnt in the school rules or the district rules.

This is the first time DD has ever had her phone go off in class or been in the principals office. We have always told the kids not to hand over their phones to just anyone. If the rule for the school was that phones would be confiscated if they went off I would have my kids keep them in their locker.

I told the principal to show me in the student handbook where it says students have to hand over their phones. He said that they usually follow teacher preference when it comes to phones going off in class. I told him that teacher preferences are fine and dandy but that doesnt mean that dd HAS to hand the phone over if she does not want to.
I also told him that trying to grab a phone out of her hand was not okay at all.

If DD had just been negligent and left her phone on ring I would have been pissed off on her. She showed me that it was on silent, the alarm shouldnt have gone off. She doesnt even have the "Silent except for alarms" setting on. She is just going to turn her phone off while in class so it can never happen again. The phone is pretty new and she never had a problem with her last phone doing that.

We are big on following the actual rules at school not made up stuff. The district rulebook is final say in every case and we knew she didnt have to hand over her phone. If the principal had a problem with that he should have called me instead of taking her phone out of her hands. This school has been in trouble multiple times by the district for not following the rules.

I cant wait until summer break

[Anonymous 2]

My son isn't allowed to take his phone to school. It is written in the rules here that the school will confiscate the phones and put each in an envelope that's locked away in the first period teachers desk or closet. Im not chancing it because ds has a really nice phone whereas most students have cheap androids.

[Anonymous 3]

Good lord.

So glad I'm not a teacher anymore. So so glad.

[Inmybizz]

My daughter doesn't have a phone so I don't worry about that. The school has all parents sign a contract regarding phones- they can not be on during school hours or between classes. Failure to follow the rules will get the phone confiscated and locked in the office I have to pay a fee to get it back.

I'll probably get blasted for this, but I believe when an adult asks a child to do something they should follow instructions.

[Anonymous 1]

My son isn't allowed to take his phone to school. It is written in the rules here that the school will confiscate the phones and put each in an envelope that's locked away in the first period teachers desk or closet. Im not chancing it because ds has a really nice phone whereas most students have cheap androids.

If the rule was written like that here I would tell them to not have their phones on them at all in class/wherever they arent allowed

[Vegaswife2011]

You are part of the problem.

[Kikibix]

Good for your dd for standing up for herself. Hate adults who feel the need to bully and be unreasonable. She apologized and offered solutions, that should have been the end of it . Kids are people too and most definitely deserve to be treated with equal respect.

[Anonymous 1]

My daughter doesn't have a phone so I don't worry about that. The school has all parents sign a contract regarding phones- they can not be on during school hours or between classes. Failure to follow the rules will get the phone confiscated and locked in the office I have to pay a fee to get it back.

I'll probably get blasted for this, but I believe when an adult asks a child to do something they should follow instructions.

I disagree with your last line. If a student knows the rules and that they are within them they shouldnt just do what a teacher said

I would have no problem signing that contract and I would tell my kids to just turn their phones off and follow the rules. If they did get confiscated I wouldnt be paying to get them back it would be on them BUT that is not the rule here.

[Loves2sonshines]

I don't want to comment on all the school crap, but good for your daughter for sticking up for herself.

[Anonymous 1]

You are part of the problem.

How exactly? By knowing the rules and knowing what the school can and can not actually do?

DD wasnt going to risk her phone getting stolen