As a high school teacher I often question the effectiveness of our 'no cell phone' policy. I am aware that working in a high-needs community where gang activity is prevalent, 'no cell phone' policies help eliminate in-school communication for gang members, which then lowers the possibility of organized fighting and overall violence. It also helps lower instances of cyber bulling. However, I am also aware that if a student needs to text they easily find ways to do it: during restroom breaks, while they take their notebook out of their backpack, or when the teacher is not looking directly at them.
