I remember hearing the same annoying phrase every time I used to ride with my grandma. “When I went to school I had to walk 14 miles everyday even if it snowed or rained.”

Today is much different than those prehistoric times. There are many more dangers and more often than not our world is unsafe. A youngster roaming the street risks encounters with scum such as sexual offenders or other dangerous people.

With this in mind, I am baffled by the decision of William Andrekopoulos, superintendent of the Milwaukee Public School District, to ban cell phones inside all local schools.

I think that this is the wrong choice for the district and will not in anyway make Milwaukee schools safer.

However, Andrekopoulos contends that a cell phone ban in all Milwaukee public schools will make their campuses safer.

The reasoning behind this ban is based on worries that youngsters with cell phones in their possession could call outsiders and invite them in the school.

It is a fact that nearly every school in Milwaukee has tight door security. It would be impossible for outsiders to walk right in to most schools. Clearly, there are flaws in this reasoning.

However, Andrekopoulos contends that outsiders include parents who have numerously already contacted administrators after a call from their child at school from their cell phone.

The district contends it has nine such cases so far, which have upset MPS staff members greatly. Many times these calls are made from parents who have an angry and threatening tone. The calls often turn into attacks on teachers and other staff members.

It is obvious that technology of the cell phone helps provide safety for today’s youngsters whether they are walking home from school or at the mall. For cell phones to be effective they have to be constantly carried around and can’t just be thrown in the bushes before entering a school.

While there are people that will choose to break any rule, and a small percentage of students probably do call their parents from school, the majority wait until after school.

Cell phones are important because they provide a network for parents to communicate with their children. Both the child and the parent are just a phone call away no matter where they are and surely a parent would not expect his or her child to use it during school.

Since cell phones provide a network between parents and their children they have become an important tool for parents. They are a necessity in nearly every household today because of the service they provide.

Cell phones have replaced payphones. It is much harder to find the latter because most of them have been removed in response to increased cell phone use.

The payphones that do exist are more expensive and as a result, many children are forced to call their families collect. Since payphones are less accessible than they used to be, taking away cell phones will break the line of communication between parents and their children.

To preserve this important line, cell phone usage should be banned on campus during class time or even during lunch. Cell phones have their place but should not be used during class time for any reason.

This is an obvious rule and I do not think a teacher would tolerate a student using the phone during class even if they were not banned. Currently, cell phone use during class is clearly not tolerated but violation of this policy has generally only amounted to a warning.

Under Andrekopoulos’ plan, expulsion could be enforced just for possession of a cell phone. However, even he contends the new policy will be tough to enforce.

Harsher consequences may make students less likely to bring their cell phones to school.

The district has a right to be concerned about the safety of the students in their schools; however, they should not attempt to maintain it by banning cell phones.

The superintendent contends that students do not and should not have these devices on them for any reason.

As long as students don’t use their cell phones during class time, they should be allowed to have them.

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