Leadership Decay

In the early 1960's, high school sport conditioning was intense and physical education classes were militaristic with calisthenics and running. Part of the P.E. regimentation was a dress-a-like uniform code. End of class showers were expected. Over the years, students began wrangling parental complaints to school administrators about the physical education structure and by the late1980's the physical education class resembled more 'free play.'

 Today's academic classroom integrity and instructional atmosphere is challenged and compromised by the 'cell phone.' Parents insist on kids' having cell phones for convenience and overstated safety concerns. Young students are thus delighted and why not? We have all noticed the insatiable appetite for cell phones demonstrated by all ages. Can you possibly imagine the percent of American teens that take cell phones to bed nightly? And we wonder why our public schools are perceived as failing.

In defense of school administrators, they also have pressure from the local Board of Education. When parents run into school administration opposition they quickly attack school board members. My experience, on that front, if two parents telephone board members ' the issue is a concern.' If five people telephone, 'it's a crisis!'

Cell phones should be deemed unacceptable in the classroom along with those 'earbuds.' If the BOE and the school administration cannot enforce such a plan then every classroom teacher should stand at the doorway and as students enter 'their' room require the students place cell phones in a basket and pull the earbuds out. Those phones are retrieved by students upon departure from class.