May 7, 2025 • 37 mins
The Massachusetts Senate is exploring ways to keep the classroom distraction free by weighing legislation to ban cellphones in public schools. Teachers have long spoken out about cellphone use in the classroom being a constant distraction and health advocates warn about their effects on children’s mental health. Do you think a cellphone ban is a good or bad idea? Why? State House News Reporter Alison Kuznitz joined us to discuss.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WVZ Boston's news video.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
This morning, the President of the Massachusetts State Senate, Karen Spoker,
spoke at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and joining
us now is Alison Kuznitz. I hope I pronounced that correctly.
Allison was, I fairly close.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
You got it.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
Thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I love it when I can nail those, you know,
Smith Brownsnitz, It's perfect. Alison writes for the State House
News Service, which is the best coverage in my opinion,
of the State House because they are up there dedicated
to the State House. Back in the old days, one
of the TV stations and some of the newspapers had
(00:48):
State House reporters are signed up there that there's not
so much anymore, but the State House News Services there,
and Allison is one of the bulwarks of the State
House News Service. You were you at the Greater Boston
ABRA Commerce speech this morning or were you reporting based
upon the text that the Senate president delivered.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Yes, I was in the seaport today. So she was
at the West in Boston Sport Hotel giving her address.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Okay, so let's talk about the speech that I want
to know, since you were there, if there was any
follow up afterwards. This to me seems like a no brainer. Basically,
the headline in the Globe story is as Mass Senate
will explore ban on cell phones in public schools. Top
Democrats says, your headline is Spilka interested in removing cell
(01:36):
phones from classrooms? Allison, This is like to me a
no brainer. Why would they? And this has been kicked
around for a long time. What's taking them so long?
And do you think that something like this by Spilka
actually might light the fire that will get some action
on this.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
I mean, it certainly is extremely notable that then of President,
the top Democrat and the brand is expressed this. It
was really one interesting colonel out of a bigger dispute
or a bigger point of interest. Within her speech talking
about MBTA funding, but to sid a President, she mentioned
that her son, who is a public high school teacher,
is constantly telling his students to put their phones down.
(02:17):
So she had mentioned that she wants the Senate to
start exploring the issue. Senator Julian Sear has a bill
and it's endorsed. It's part of the Attorney Attorney General Andrews.
Campbell legislative agenda the session actually to introduce a banner.
It's called a bell to bell band. So basically, some
lawmakers the attorney general are behind this idea that they
(02:40):
want to curtail the use of cell phones during the day.
And the legislation also tries to add some restrictions around
how social media companies, how they can implement some features
as well to restrict use.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
But it would seem to me, and I'm just a
talk show host on a former reporter, but it would
seem to me that the big corporations that are running
these websites and all of that, they have an interest
in kids using cell phones, et cetera. But it's up
(03:14):
to the school administrators and it's up to the political
leaders to act. Cell phones have been around a long time,
you know, and there's no suggestion that the availability and
access to cell phones are helping Massachusetts kids score better
on all of these you know, comprehensive tests that they
(03:36):
have to take in the third, the fifth, the eighth,
and I think the tenth grade. As a matter of fact,
all the scores I see every year, it's always blamed
on COVID. By the way, that Massachusetts students the scores
are dropping. I would think that they would be that
the political leadership would be ashamed of themselves that they
haven't done something, you know, like yesterday or like three
(03:59):
years ago. Is what is the impetus? It looks to
me like the union's not fighting. This looks to me
like everybody's on the same page. What's the hold up?
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (04:12):
I mean again, we saw the Centate president today talking
about the distractions that come into classroom, of course, worrying
about cheating in the classroom, worrying about cyber bullying. She
made the case that this type of ban is as
commensurate as you know, protecting students mental health and providing
mental health resources, providing free school meals that she's braided
this as another piece to the puzzle to really improve
(04:35):
the academic experience. It's still pretty early in the session
by standards of the committees holding hearings, and this bill
has not held the hearing yet, but it'll be very interesting.
The bill is before the Education Committee, so it'll be
interesting to see what lawmakers, the age, kind of what
that feedback is as a discussion kind of really coalesces
around this issue with the Senate President taking the time
(04:56):
to mention it today before hundreds of business and civic leaders.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
So two final questions. Let me drill down a little bit.
Who's opposed to this? Because this is something that really
should go into effect like two years ago or five
years ago. A lot of kids, you know, high school
ends when they turn eighteen. That's it is there is
(05:20):
there any force that we have that you have identified,
or that anyone has identified that says, well, you know,
the cell phone manufacturers are against it. I mean that
shouldn't that shouldn't be a problem, or Meta or Mark Zuckelberg,
who's against it. I can't see any group that's going
to stick their head up out of the foxhole and
say no, I want my kids and I want all
(05:42):
these kids to have cell phones in the classrooms.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Sure, I mean, I think there's definitely been an approach.
I was speaking with senators here today who is one
of the built sponsors, and he mentioned that schools and
his district districts across the Commonwealth habit. But it truly
has been a decision so far up to the local school.
So it's really a matter of if Beacon Hill is
going to step in instead of state wide policy as
opposed to allowing individual school districts to apply as While
(06:09):
I apologize for the cirrus going by right now, but
I think there is all that.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
That is that is not that are those sirens. Are
not members of the legislature rushing to Beacon Hill to
pass this piece of this piece of logical No, But again,
I just not. I just want to make sure is
there any like trade group or industry up there that's
lobbying behind the scenes, and that I'm serious when I
(06:38):
say this. This is something that they should have said
when the kids first started to bring cell phones into school. Hey,
hold on, this is a school, this is not this
is not playtime. Put the cell phones away, and if
you can't put them away, leave them in your lockers.
It just seems to me that there must be some
group or some strong opposition to this that that I'm
(06:59):
unaware of. And I didn't know if you might have said, well,
there is this group, no group.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
As far as you know, I haven't dealt too much
into the issue. As far as hearing from the opposition today,
I certainly did not hear any pushback apt the chamber
of itself. But just looking at the response to social
media companies. A lot of the other portion of the
bill deals with, you know, severely finding some of these
(07:24):
social media companies if they do not get on board
with age verification, if they do not get on board
with restricting uses as such as like saying you're not
allowed to have AutoPlay during the school day, you're not
allowed to have notifications during the school day. I think
it would really be very difficult to achieve certain parts
of the bill, So that would be a major hurdle.
I mean, we've seen in the past that like the
(07:46):
Senate has tried or the legislature has tried to engage
in the discussion about banning TikTok, and those conversations have
somewhat fizzled out. So it'd be interesting to see if
maybe part of the bill moves forward, but maybe not
so much. The restrictions social media as well included within
the bill as well dealing with cell phone usage.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Well, it seems to me I see and in the
golalpiece that they say that opposition to the bands Head
to the Bands has emerged at other schools such as
Lowell High School in New Bedford. I can't understand why
kids who are in high school are opposed to this,
but I kind of imagine why any parent has opposed
to her, or by any rational taxpayer whose money is
(08:28):
being poured into the school system. Did she take any
did the Senate President take any questions on this when
she finished, or was it make a speech and leave.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
She mostly was being asked questions about the NBTA funding
that the Senate is tomorrow will be voting on a
supplemental budget, including which is mostly built off or tax
money known as the fair Share of millionaire tax. So
that was really the primary piece of it. But you know,
the Senate President did mention the voter the ballot question
(09:00):
and dealing with eliminating the m past. That's something that
she and the business community were very much against eliminating
that standard. So it seems that she had an audience
today that is really recepted to the idea of doing
what they can to make sure that students are really
getting the education and the rigorous training they need in
the classroom and kind of removing that distraction.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Of self with that millionaire's text, we can build a
few more parking garages in Queensy, in the speaker's hometown,
but we'll leave that for another day. I don't want to.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
Put you in Yes, that's an earmark for the Senate
as well.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Oh yeah, yeah, Well I suspect one hand washes the other.
There's no doubt about that. Thank you very much, Alis
appreciate your time. Tonight. We'll have you back. This was
your first appearance with us, and we'll have you back.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Thanks so much, Thank you so much, really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
You're welcome. I appreciate you working late for us. All right,
so we're going now take very quick break, get to
phone calls. Is there anyone in my entire audience who
thinks this is a bad idea. If there is no
one in the audience who thinks banning cell phones in
classrooms during school hours, during instructions is a bad idea,
(10:11):
my next question is why are our legislators so hasen
to act on something like this doesn't make a lot
of sense to me, but we're going to highlight it
and give you a chance to talk about it. Look,
the kids in Massachusetts are badly served in public schools.
It's as simple as that. The scores are going down, down, down.
(10:35):
That does not arg well for them going forwards. It
doesn't arg well for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts going forwards.
And this would be one simple reform that I think
everyone everyone would agree upon. Get you want to bring
a cell phone to school, Fine, you put it in
your locker and you don't touch it until the end
of the school day, when the day is over, and
(10:56):
when football pra if you're an athlete, then you go
to the cell phone. By the way, this excuse of well,
I you know, my parents might want to be in
touch with me. No, your parents shouldn't be in touch
with you in school. And if you have to get
in touch with your parents, if you don't feel well
and you want to go home, you go to the
school nurse, and the nurse calls your mom or your dad,
(11:16):
and you get your ride home, and you take your
cell phone with you. I think it's so simple. I'm
stunned that we're still talking about this and the fact
that it hasn't been put into effect, like five years ago.
The number six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty
six one seven, nine, three, one ten thirty. I think
(11:37):
this happens to be a really important question. And some
of you might say, Hey, I don't have kids in
high school I don't have grandkids in high school. But
doesn't affect me. It affects everyone everyone when kids are
being going through public schools. We pay for the schools
and they're not getting their education. Uh, they'll pay for
it later. We'll be back on Night's Side in just
(11:58):
a couple of minutes.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
It's Nice Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
So we're talking about banning, finally banning cell phones in
schools in Massachusetts. My opinion, this should have happened probably
like ten years ago, but they're still available. I guess
each district can kind of do their own little thing,
which is fine. However, I think it's time for the
cell phones to be banned in schools during the school day,
(12:28):
simple as that. And why we're dealing with it at
this point, I don't know. Let's go to Robert and Tewks,
but you see what Robert thinks. Robert, Welcome to Night'side.
Going to start us off this arga right ahead.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
Robert, and I'm nice to hear your voice. Byes. I
have a lot of my plate to say. I'm sorry,
I apologize I miss your guests, Allison from the Statehouse,
because I bettered the stay house so many times. I
really think they should prohibit cell phones and classrooms because
children and kids have be able to get a quality
education answered distraction. I whether they're gonna bring a cell
(13:01):
phone into school and locker in a locker all day.
I just think they should prohibit them because I come
from the old school. I have a physical and mental disability.
I miss payphones, and I don't like cell phones or computers.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
No, I totally get it. I totally get what you're saying,
but it just seems to me, Uh, I think it's
a no brainer. I think that.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
I think it's like being a no brainer being brain dead.
But because they're just a nuisance and all the things
that have happened in schools across the country, between the
violence and stuff and the bullion, I think that's a
lot to do with cell phones. People are having kids
having ygues with their classrooms, are in the hallway and
their lockers, having just disagreements of the cell phones. I
(13:46):
think they should really prohibit it. In Massachusetts Clubwealth of Massachusetts.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Yeah, they also give they give this gives kids a
chance if they want to communicate to in the day,
So if something's going to go down after school. If
something is going to go down after school, Uh, it's
going to be a problem. By the way, I'll let
you know. The New York Nicko Parkers have just beaten
(14:12):
the Boston Celtics ninety one tonight. Boy, I'm nothing lead
and they go back to New York for the next
couple of games. Oh Jesus, I hate to be the
bearer of bad news. But the Celtics are up pretty
comfortably during most of the game, and they Tatum went
in for his final shot and the Knicks played really
(14:36):
tough defense. They didn't follow him, they blocked the shot,
and that's the game. So but let just get back
your cell phones quickly. Please go ahead, sup.
Speaker 5 (14:45):
Yeah, it's about the stayhouse. There's a woman up there
that works for the govern's cats. I don't want to
say her name over there, but she appoints the judges.
And I wrote Charlie Bakroll letter when he before he
left office. I learned am a really nice letter, really
intelligent intellect I learned about that, and he didn't respond.
I had filed so may complained for governmar Healey's office
(15:06):
and never got a letter respond But by.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
The way, just just Robert Robert, let me just help
you out. Just to understand this. The governor in Massachusetts
nominates the judges, nominates people to the bench, and then
it's with the advice and Council of the Governor's Council.
And in most instances when someone is nominated, in most
(15:33):
cases the road took confirmations pretty easy. There are some
cases when a governor makes a mistake. The fact that
Charlie Baker didn't respond to you, it doesn't surprise me
because he had a very good first four years as
governor and then and in his second four years he
(15:54):
ended up with kind of the b team, and I
think he lost focus at the.
Speaker 5 (16:00):
Job of it. Do you think that Mary's showing her
on some job, but what do you think about her accountability?
Herry Swatsavilia's governor. Do you think he's doing a good job.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
I have a lot of questions about what she's doing.
I thought that she's a very nice person. Yeah, I
like personally, but her staff is also I think that
in my opinion, In my opinion, there's I'll say I'll
save my comments for for at some point later. She's
(16:31):
a really nice person, but I don't think she's being
well served by her staff.
Speaker 5 (16:35):
In my opinion, I do, and I think we need
a new governor to really crack down on cell phones,
people behind the wheels.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
I mean, I think that this is an example where
where is Governor Healey's voice on this? Where is her
leadership on this? She's the governor of the Comwalth of Massachusetts.
They always they just you know, raised a lot of
money with the millionaire's tax, and all of a sudden,
twenty five million dollars of that is not going to
educate or transportation. It's going to a parking garage in Quincy.
(17:03):
They might need a parking garage in Quincy, but but
you know, find the money in the budget, not in
an area of money that was supposed to go for
education and transportation. Transportation to me is roads, not a
parking garage. As a matter of fact of parking garage
is opposite transportation. Because you know, but again it's Marie,
it's the speaker's district. There's too much Buddy Buddy started there,
(17:27):
it's never gone away at the State House.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
One last thing, because I know you have other calls. Yeah,
she hasn't qualified and spend enough money and recognition. I
met the house. The people in this this hot common
well are homeless, and the housing that there's a section
a housing authority.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Well, I will tell you I think.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
The housing and he met the house and Mary, I
don't want to think to help the master Hill the homeless.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
I'll say this, I think we have a responsibility to
people from Massachusetts first, and I think we got ourselves
in a real bind financially where they decided to open
up the come Wealth of Massachusets anybody who wanted to
come here and be given shellfon.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
I think we need to read phones back then.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Yeah, okay, gotta go, gotta go. Thanks very much, Roll,
appreciate you call. Thanks going by, Thank you. We'll take
a break up one line at six one seven, two, five,
four to ten thirty and one line at six one seven,
nine three one ten thirty. We're talking about what to
me is an absolute no brainer, and that is cell
phones are in public schools in the possession of the
(18:36):
students during class time. That should not happen, in my opinion,
under any circumstances. So uh, I'd love to hear from you.
It is a no brainer in my opinion. If there's
anyone out there who thinks kids should have cell phones
in their possession, in their bag, in their desk, in
their pocket. Crazy. Crazy. If we were killing here in
(19:03):
Massachusetts and our kids were number one across the country,
I'd say, Okay, it really hasn't had an adverse impact.
Get them out of the classroom. They can bring them
to school, put them in a locker, walk them up
for the entire day, don't have them during lunch. And
if you I would be very strict on that, We'll
be back on Nightside. I'd love to hear your point
(19:23):
of view, coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Night Side with Dan Ray.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
On News Radio. So continue to talk about cell phones
in schools in Massachusetts. We're talking public schools. I am
certain that in some of the prestigious private schools in Massachusetts,
private high schools, the kids are not sitting in class
with cell phones because their parents are paying private school
(19:53):
tuition on top of their own taxes for public school education.
And everyone is paying for public school education. And I
don't want those kids to be short changed, and they
are always going to be short changed. Look, all of us,
the cell phone is like an attention magnet. I during
(20:14):
the day, I have to put my cell phone away.
When I'm trying to work and get do show prep,
I'll see something, It'll be a distraction. I kind of
imagine if I was a fourteen or a fifteen year
old in high school, how I wouldn't be distracted by
cell phone? Why can our political leaders not show the
backbone to have this taken care of this problem five
years ago? Hats off to sending President Spilker for raising
(20:37):
the issue. Let's go to Rachel and Quincy. Hi, Rachel,
welcome you next on Nightside.
Speaker 6 (20:42):
Hey Pan, how are you? I hope you're well.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
I'm doing just great. What do you think? What do
you think about this idea of why should any kid
have a cell phone on as his or her person
while in class at school? It just shouldn't happen.
Speaker 6 (20:58):
I one hundred percent agree with you because it's a distraction.
Number one, And if you see these children, I mean
I walked by a Duncan Donuts to get a coffee
and there was a group of This was like two
days ago. There's a group of maybe four or five kids.
(21:20):
Every single one of them were like on their phones
doing blah blah blah. I don't even know what they
were doing.
Speaker 7 (21:27):
And I'm like, I know when I was younger.
Speaker 6 (21:30):
Right, listen, it was okay, if I need to call
my mom, if I was sick, I'd go to the nurse,
or if I had to contact somebody, I would go
to the you know, the payphone.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
And it's not even that well payphones have payphones have
gone the way of the model. T okay. So look,
I don't mind if they have cell phones and they
keep them in their locker. But you're right, if you're
not feeling well, you ask the teacher. Can I go
to the nurse and you go to the nurse's office.
Every school has a nurse's office. And if the nurse says, gee,
(22:08):
you know, you look like you got a temperature or
I just took your temperature, okay, fine, they call your mom,
they call your dad, they call a neighbor or whomever
you're contact person, and you get out of there. I
get it. I get it. But just to be able
to sit in the classroom and kind of keep the
cell phone down out of the view of the teacher.
Teacher knows that the class is not paying attention to
what he or he or she is teaching them, and
(22:31):
and it's it's disruptive, it's distracting, and it's it doesn't
it's it's of no value. It's like it's like every
kid should be able to during class. Every kid should
be able to eat pizza, have a pizza party while
class goes on, see how much learning takes place.
Speaker 6 (22:51):
But you know what it's and this is like you
said ten years ago, it should have happened, because now
every child is either on a computer or a telephone.
Speaker 8 (23:04):
And there's so many kids that I'm like, okay, can
you print? They're not even teaching signatures in school.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
I heard, yeah, the cursive writing. No, I understand. Yeah,
And there's a lot of stuff that is being pushed
to the side. You're absolutely right, You're absolutely right. And
I think it's because the teachers are saying. You know,
the teachers are at a disadvantage here because if you're
a teacher and you prepared your your your class notes,
and you're ready to have a good class and teach kids,
and half the classes goofing off and the other half
(23:40):
is looking at their cell phone their cell phones. At
a point you you lose your enthusiasm for teaching, and
that doesn't help anyone.
Speaker 6 (23:48):
No, and we need to give our credit to our teachers.
You can't blame them when you have, like whatever, five
children in the corner like you going back and forth
and have them are probably talking about the other two
kids over there that are trying to learn.
Speaker 7 (24:09):
You got it, you got it.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
You got it. Hey, Rachel. As always, I thank you
for getting this going here, keep us rolling, Thank you
so much. And tough night for the Celtics, Rachel.
Speaker 6 (24:20):
Oh goodness, Dan, I was watching the game up until
like you just said.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Yeah, yeah, tough night, tough night, Thanks Rachel. We'll talk soon.
Let me keep rolling here. Going to go up north
to New Hampshire. I will bet you that cell phones
they're probably stricter, and cell phones in New Hampshire. I
don't know. I might be wrong on that. Let's see
what Patty has to say. Patty in New Hampshire.
Speaker 7 (24:42):
Hi, Patty, Hey, Dan, how you doing.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
I'm doing great. Do they allow cell phone much?
Speaker 7 (24:50):
I am not sure because my kids are forty four
and thirty nine, but.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
So they're both out of high school at this.
Speaker 7 (24:57):
Point, right, yeah, and they weren't weren't allowed to have
cell phones then either, well.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
They didn't exist. That then was a problem.
Speaker 7 (25:05):
Right, But I'm I'm on my way home from Massachusetts.
My grandson, both of them lived there, and one's a
baby and one's ten years old. And yeah, I think
that in society today, these kids have too many distractions.
And you know, they it's a privilege to have a phone,
(25:28):
first of all. But you know, when we were growing up.
I'm sixty nine years old, we didn't have cell phones period.
And I do understand why the scores are going down.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
It's yeah, it's just it's an unnecessary distraction. I mean,
first of all, it's there is like any other tool.
It's a wonderful tool. Learning how to drive a car
is wonderful. But but if kids aren't taught to drive
cars and understand and respect that, that's probably I told
(26:06):
my kids when they started driving cars, they said, this
is the single most dangerous thing you're probably going to
do unless you join the military.
Speaker 5 (26:15):
Right.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
We just saw these beautiful three students from Massachusetts who
are killed in this horrific automobile accident while on spring
down in Florida. But cell phones, cell phones are no
but cell phones, cell phones, cell phones are a great things.
(26:36):
So if tonight you break down on the side of
the road. You can pull over the side of the road,
you can call, you can stay in your car. You
can be safe. Twenty five years ago, you might have
had to have dealt with someone pulling over to help you,
and you have no idea who that person is. In
most cases it might have been a good person. But
in that off chance that you had somebody who was
(26:57):
more probably more trouble than they were.
Speaker 7 (26:59):
Worth, liar and you know good and you know what, Dan,
You know, when we were growing up, the way you
communicated was, you know, when you walk from Hallway to Halloway,
from from class to class, you have a conversation with somebody.
You know, Today they don't know how to communicate. They
only know how to get on their phones and send
(27:22):
a text. And you know, communication skills are failing because
of cell phones.
Speaker 5 (27:29):
Now.
Speaker 7 (27:29):
My grandson has a cell phone and he does bring
it to school. He's not allowed to have it, you know,
obviously he's only in fifth grade, but you're not allowed
to have it, you know, on his person while he's
in school all day. But from my daughter, it is
a great tracking mechanism. She always knows where he is.
(27:53):
So I would hate to see them take them completely
away from them. But yeah, they need to be kept
in the walkers till go home.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Yeah, that's it.
Speaker 5 (28:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
I mean, look, my parents knew exactly where I was
because I was going to school and I was told
that was my job. My job was to go to
school and learn. And I know that sounds old school,
and I'm sorry about it if it sounds old school.
Speaker 7 (28:15):
But hey, kids today, kids today have way too many privileges.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Well, I think we have enabled them. I think it's like, well,
one kid has a cell phone. Everybody's got to get
a cell phone. It's like the in the rich neighborhood,
some eighteen year old gets a Corvette, a brand new
Corvette worth one hundred thousand dollars, while the other parents,
we can't let our kid drive at Jallopie. We got
to get him. That's it's it's the old story of
(28:42):
keeping up with the Joneses. But we now do it
for our kids, and we enabled them.
Speaker 7 (28:46):
Well, I hope I hope that somebody in some politician
or somebody that's got some power takes us to the
table and does something about it.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Well, they should have done it ten years ago. Better
late than never, Better late than Hey, Patty. Thanks very much.
Nice to hear your voice.
Speaker 7 (29:04):
Have you called me good night?
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Have you called before? Is this is your first time?
Speaker 7 (29:08):
I am, but it hasn't been a long time.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Well, do me a favorite, make it more frequent. Okay,
I enjoyed the conference. Kay bye six one, seven, two
four ten thirty one line there six one seven, nine
three one ten thirty, will be right back. I got
Allison in Saugust. She will be next right after this
quick break on Nightside. Stay right there, Allison, we'll get
you on. Don't worry.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
I promise you're on night Side with Dan Ray on
w BZY, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Ah, We're gonna go to Allison in Saugus. Hey, Allison, welcome,
thanks for checking in. You're next on Nightside.
Speaker 9 (29:42):
Hi, Hi Dan, how are you?
Speaker 2 (29:44):
I'm doing just great, Allison, Thanks for calling in. What's
your your thought on keeping cell phones out of the classroom?
Speaker 9 (29:52):
Well, I'm a public school teacher here in Massa. Jusets,
I've been a teacher twenty years.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
You sound too young to be a teacher for twenty years.
You sound like you're you're twenty years old. Never mind teaching.
Speaker 9 (30:03):
If it twenty you were saying that you tell the truth.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
I'm a truth teller, Alison.
Speaker 9 (30:08):
You're a young thank you. So, I mean, I've been
there for this progression of the advancement of cell phones,
little by a little, year after year, more and more
in the classroom. So this is kind of a subject
to that is very near and dear to my heart.
And I did want to start by giving you probably
(30:29):
the best logical reason that I've heard to keep cell phone.
That is, well, that is, what if there's a shooter,
and in that regard, having a phone on your person
could be calling the police, master, it could be calling
your mom and saying Mom, I'm okay, and I I do.
(30:53):
I'm more on board for that rationale. The problem is
phones aren't just phones. In fact, using a phone as
a phone to call people is probably the least common
use of a phone.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Well, the other thing, too, is if god forbid, there
was a shooter in your school, kids having cell phones
that could be Actually it could increase the danger. And
I'll tell you how. If some shooter is walking the
corridors and he's got two or three minutes before police
respond and neutralize the situation, if he hears a phone ring,
(31:31):
he knows there's someone in that room, if he hears
somebody who has the phone on and it's beeping, or
if they're talking on the phone. The best thing to
do in that situation is both the door, you know,
block the door as best you can with whatever you know,
and get out of the line and stay and stay quiet.
Let that shooter throw.
Speaker 9 (31:51):
Oh yes, And we have those like alice drills all
the time, and that's what it is. It's like quiet.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
And I also think that that the chances of a
shoot uh you know, I know every year there's there's
a few of those, but there's thousands, thousands, tens of
thousands of schools across America. So I understand your point.
I understand your point, but I think it's outweighed by
by them.
Speaker 9 (32:17):
It's not even that's not even my point, okay, but
that's I think the point that if that were to
be brought up, that that would be the point that
would probably that would probably sway people. And again, if
if there were an app for that, that you could
make a cell phone just a phone from seven forty
(32:37):
in the morning to two fifteen when school ends, I
would be on board. You could have your phone again
these kids are not using their phones to call people.
They don't even call for a pizza. All of that
stuff is apps. They all, it's all. They don't talk
like that anymore, and they don't call if they don't
absolutely have to. So if that was, you know, for
a security reason, my son, you know, might need to
(32:59):
call me or whatever if there's a problem to call I,
I might be I might be swayed by that. But
again the problem is is these boons are not being
used to call anybody on it on the daily. That's
not most of the time. If the kids on their phone,
they're playing a game. Sometimes they're watching Much Madness, Sometimes
(33:21):
they're watching Netflix.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Sometimes beds problems. They're probably placing beds to who knows,
what great level do you teach? If I could ask
junior high high school?
Speaker 9 (33:32):
Would teach high school? I teach high school?
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Good for you? What course? What type of what type
of teacher I teach?
Speaker 9 (33:40):
I teach Spanish?
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Spanish?
Speaker 9 (33:50):
But yeah, so I just want I wanted to like,
I just wanted to give you that. If that rationale
is one, thank.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
You for putting that up there, because it's good to
talk about it. I think the politicians got to get
off there butt and do something.
Speaker 9 (34:03):
It needs to be. There's one hundred percent right, because
the cell phones are the biggest distraction. And the problem
is these kids don't even realize they're distracted. Fifty minutes
of class can go by, the bell can ring, and
they're like, wait, what what happened?
Speaker 2 (34:19):
You know, what were you talking about? They zone out,
They zone out.
Speaker 9 (34:24):
It's one hundred percent. They don't even And that's the thing.
It's not like they're getting scores that are lower because
they're not as smart as before. They don't hear what
you're saying. Wow, So they they they leave class. They
have no idea what you said. They have no idea
what you've taught. And that's the problem. It has nothing
to do with, like again, with their intelligence level.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
All right, Ellison, thank you very much. As long as
they were teachers like you were in good shape and
and you're a credit to you're a credit to the cause.
Thank you so much much. Right, and thanks for listening
to Nightside. Good night. Jason is in Waltham. Jason next
on Nightside, go right ahead, tight on time here, Jason,
go right ahead.
Speaker 10 (35:03):
Then, Hi, thank you for having me again.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
Welcome, so I don't know what the solution is, but
for me, for any parent who's against all four kids
having phones in the school, I think it's the problem
starts at home.
Speaker 10 (35:16):
Right these days we have young kids having kids. The
parents are cooking dinner, watch while they're watching phones. They
do they're doing work at home. Why they're watching the phones.
They're going to the bathroom of the phones. What do
you expect the kids to do? Same thing with the
video games. The parents are playing video games all day
and one of the kids are doing the same thing.
Parents on the phone. Everything is on the phone. Then
they come the red light on the phone. What do
(35:36):
you expect the kids to do when they get the phone?
They're going to set the same example when they take
it to the school because if they have it's from home.
Same thing parents watching read movies, and I wonder where
kids go to school start using for our language. Everything
starts at home. Always for the pirates, before the parents
go to school and said the school should do this
and this, the parents should look for themselves. It goes
(35:58):
back to the the schools tatools. Just because the skill
the kid goes for go to school, the school doesn't
end when the kids get out of school. This school
got quotinue when to get home or does not get
involved with a home or sent thing with the technology
when the kids get home, say boundaries. But the kids
and the person I sat in boundaries because the parents
are young themselves. You got kids, We got parates who
(36:20):
are twenty five raising raising somebody who's ten.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Yeah, yeah, oh that's Jason. I'm telling you. I'm so
impressed by by you and your calls. I'm glad that
you found night Side. Your your real asset to this program.
And please continue to listen, continue to call and keep
me posted on if you were able to uh get
(36:44):
involved in what we talked about earlier.
Speaker 10 (36:47):
Yes, we did. I got a meeting with the twenty first.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
That's not bad. That's not bad. Jason, Thank you much
as always, my friend, Thank you so much.
Speaker 10 (36:56):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
Talk to you soon. To the callers of the line,
you just to call it a little earlier. We're going
to switch topics. We'll get back perhaps this later on.
We're going to talk about the papal conclave coming up
with a religious professor from Boston College. Professor Thomas Groome
will be back on Nightside right after this
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WVZ Boston's news video.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
This morning, the President of the Massachusetts State Senate, Karen Spoker,
spoke at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and joining
us now is Alison Kuznitz. I hope I pronounced that correctly.
Allison was, I fairly close.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
You got it.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
Thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I love it when I can nail those, you know,
Smith Brownsnitz, It's perfect. Alison writes for the State House
News Service, which is the best coverage in my opinion,
of the State House because they are up there dedicated
to the State House. Back in the old days, one
of the TV stations and some of the newspapers had
(00:48):
State House reporters are signed up there that there's not
so much anymore, but the State House News Services there,
and Allison is one of the bulwarks of the State
House News Service. You were you at the Greater Boston
ABRA Commerce speech this morning or were you reporting based
upon the text that the Senate president delivered.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Yes, I was in the seaport today. So she was
at the West in Boston Sport Hotel giving her address.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Okay, so let's talk about the speech that I want
to know, since you were there, if there was any
follow up afterwards. This to me seems like a no brainer. Basically,
the headline in the Globe story is as Mass Senate
will explore ban on cell phones in public schools. Top
Democrats says, your headline is Spilka interested in removing cell
(01:36):
phones from classrooms? Allison, This is like to me a
no brainer. Why would they? And this has been kicked
around for a long time. What's taking them so long?
And do you think that something like this by Spilka
actually might light the fire that will get some action
on this.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
I mean, it certainly is extremely notable that then of President,
the top Democrat and the brand is expressed this. It
was really one interesting colonel out of a bigger dispute
or a bigger point of interest. Within her speech talking
about MBTA funding, but to sid a President, she mentioned
that her son, who is a public high school teacher,
is constantly telling his students to put their phones down.
(02:17):
So she had mentioned that she wants the Senate to
start exploring the issue. Senator Julian Sear has a bill
and it's endorsed. It's part of the Attorney Attorney General Andrews.
Campbell legislative agenda the session actually to introduce a banner.
It's called a bell to bell band. So basically, some
lawmakers the attorney general are behind this idea that they
(02:40):
want to curtail the use of cell phones during the day.
And the legislation also tries to add some restrictions around
how social media companies, how they can implement some features
as well to restrict use.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
But it would seem to me, and I'm just a
talk show host on a former reporter, but it would
seem to me that the big corporations that are running
these websites and all of that, they have an interest
in kids using cell phones, et cetera. But it's up
(03:14):
to the school administrators and it's up to the political
leaders to act. Cell phones have been around a long time,
you know, and there's no suggestion that the availability and
access to cell phones are helping Massachusetts kids score better
on all of these you know, comprehensive tests that they
(03:36):
have to take in the third, the fifth, the eighth,
and I think the tenth grade. As a matter of fact,
all the scores I see every year, it's always blamed
on COVID. By the way, that Massachusetts students the scores
are dropping. I would think that they would be that
the political leadership would be ashamed of themselves that they
haven't done something, you know, like yesterday or like three
(03:59):
years ago. Is what is the impetus? It looks to
me like the union's not fighting. This looks to me
like everybody's on the same page. What's the hold up?
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (04:12):
I mean again, we saw the Centate president today talking
about the distractions that come into classroom, of course, worrying
about cheating in the classroom, worrying about cyber bullying. She
made the case that this type of ban is as
commensurate as you know, protecting students mental health and providing
mental health resources, providing free school meals that she's braided
this as another piece to the puzzle to really improve
(04:35):
the academic experience. It's still pretty early in the session
by standards of the committees holding hearings, and this bill
has not held the hearing yet, but it'll be very interesting.
The bill is before the Education Committee, so it'll be
interesting to see what lawmakers, the age, kind of what
that feedback is as a discussion kind of really coalesces
around this issue with the Senate President taking the time
(04:56):
to mention it today before hundreds of business and civic leaders.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
So two final questions. Let me drill down a little bit.
Who's opposed to this? Because this is something that really
should go into effect like two years ago or five
years ago. A lot of kids, you know, high school
ends when they turn eighteen. That's it is there is
(05:20):
there any force that we have that you have identified,
or that anyone has identified that says, well, you know,
the cell phone manufacturers are against it. I mean that
shouldn't that shouldn't be a problem, or Meta or Mark Zuckelberg,
who's against it. I can't see any group that's going
to stick their head up out of the foxhole and
say no, I want my kids and I want all
(05:42):
these kids to have cell phones in the classrooms.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Sure, I mean, I think there's definitely been an approach.
I was speaking with senators here today who is one
of the built sponsors, and he mentioned that schools and
his district districts across the Commonwealth habit. But it truly
has been a decision so far up to the local school.
So it's really a matter of if Beacon Hill is
going to step in instead of state wide policy as
opposed to allowing individual school districts to apply as While
(06:09):
I apologize for the cirrus going by right now, but
I think there is all that.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
That is that is not that are those sirens. Are
not members of the legislature rushing to Beacon Hill to
pass this piece of this piece of logical No, But again,
I just not. I just want to make sure is
there any like trade group or industry up there that's
lobbying behind the scenes, and that I'm serious when I
(06:38):
say this. This is something that they should have said
when the kids first started to bring cell phones into school. Hey,
hold on, this is a school, this is not this
is not playtime. Put the cell phones away, and if
you can't put them away, leave them in your lockers.
It just seems to me that there must be some
group or some strong opposition to this that that I'm
(06:59):
unaware of. And I didn't know if you might have said, well,
there is this group, no group.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
As far as you know, I haven't dealt too much
into the issue. As far as hearing from the opposition today,
I certainly did not hear any pushback apt the chamber
of itself. But just looking at the response to social
media companies. A lot of the other portion of the
bill deals with, you know, severely finding some of these
(07:24):
social media companies if they do not get on board
with age verification, if they do not get on board
with restricting uses as such as like saying you're not
allowed to have AutoPlay during the school day, you're not
allowed to have notifications during the school day. I think
it would really be very difficult to achieve certain parts
of the bill, So that would be a major hurdle.
I mean, we've seen in the past that like the
(07:46):
Senate has tried or the legislature has tried to engage
in the discussion about banning TikTok, and those conversations have
somewhat fizzled out. So it'd be interesting to see if
maybe part of the bill moves forward, but maybe not
so much. The restrictions social media as well included within
the bill as well dealing with cell phone usage.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Well, it seems to me I see and in the
golalpiece that they say that opposition to the bands Head
to the Bands has emerged at other schools such as
Lowell High School in New Bedford. I can't understand why
kids who are in high school are opposed to this,
but I kind of imagine why any parent has opposed
to her, or by any rational taxpayer whose money is
(08:28):
being poured into the school system. Did she take any
did the Senate President take any questions on this when
she finished, or was it make a speech and leave.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
She mostly was being asked questions about the NBTA funding
that the Senate is tomorrow will be voting on a
supplemental budget, including which is mostly built off or tax
money known as the fair Share of millionaire tax. So
that was really the primary piece of it. But you know,
the Senate President did mention the voter the ballot question
(09:00):
and dealing with eliminating the m past. That's something that
she and the business community were very much against eliminating
that standard. So it seems that she had an audience
today that is really recepted to the idea of doing
what they can to make sure that students are really
getting the education and the rigorous training they need in
the classroom and kind of removing that distraction.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Of self with that millionaire's text, we can build a
few more parking garages in Queensy, in the speaker's hometown,
but we'll leave that for another day. I don't want to.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
Put you in Yes, that's an earmark for the Senate
as well.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Oh yeah, yeah, Well I suspect one hand washes the other.
There's no doubt about that. Thank you very much, Alis
appreciate your time. Tonight. We'll have you back. This was
your first appearance with us, and we'll have you back.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Thanks so much, Thank you so much, really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
You're welcome. I appreciate you working late for us. All right,
so we're going now take very quick break, get to
phone calls. Is there anyone in my entire audience who
thinks this is a bad idea. If there is no
one in the audience who thinks banning cell phones in
classrooms during school hours, during instructions is a bad idea,
(10:11):
my next question is why are our legislators so hasen
to act on something like this doesn't make a lot
of sense to me, but we're going to highlight it
and give you a chance to talk about it. Look,
the kids in Massachusetts are badly served in public schools.
It's as simple as that. The scores are going down, down, down.
(10:35):
That does not arg well for them going forwards. It
doesn't arg well for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts going forwards.
And this would be one simple reform that I think
everyone everyone would agree upon. Get you want to bring
a cell phone to school, Fine, you put it in
your locker and you don't touch it until the end
of the school day, when the day is over, and
(10:56):
when football pra if you're an athlete, then you go
to the cell phone. By the way, this excuse of well,
I you know, my parents might want to be in
touch with me. No, your parents shouldn't be in touch
with you in school. And if you have to get
in touch with your parents, if you don't feel well
and you want to go home, you go to the
school nurse, and the nurse calls your mom or your dad,
(11:16):
and you get your ride home, and you take your
cell phone with you. I think it's so simple. I'm
stunned that we're still talking about this and the fact
that it hasn't been put into effect, like five years ago.
The number six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty
six one seven, nine, three, one ten thirty. I think
(11:37):
this happens to be a really important question. And some
of you might say, Hey, I don't have kids in
high school I don't have grandkids in high school. But
doesn't affect me. It affects everyone everyone when kids are
being going through public schools. We pay for the schools
and they're not getting their education. Uh, they'll pay for
it later. We'll be back on Night's Side in just
(11:58):
a couple of minutes.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
It's Nice Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
So we're talking about banning, finally banning cell phones in
schools in Massachusetts. My opinion, this should have happened probably
like ten years ago, but they're still available. I guess
each district can kind of do their own little thing,
which is fine. However, I think it's time for the
cell phones to be banned in schools during the school day,
(12:28):
simple as that. And why we're dealing with it at
this point, I don't know. Let's go to Robert and Tewks,
but you see what Robert thinks. Robert, Welcome to Night'side.
Going to start us off this arga right ahead.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
Robert, and I'm nice to hear your voice. Byes. I
have a lot of my plate to say. I'm sorry,
I apologize I miss your guests, Allison from the Statehouse,
because I bettered the stay house so many times. I
really think they should prohibit cell phones and classrooms because
children and kids have be able to get a quality
education answered distraction. I whether they're gonna bring a cell
(13:01):
phone into school and locker in a locker all day.
I just think they should prohibit them because I come
from the old school. I have a physical and mental disability.
I miss payphones, and I don't like cell phones or computers.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
No, I totally get it. I totally get what you're saying,
but it just seems to me, Uh, I think it's
a no brainer. I think that.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
I think it's like being a no brainer being brain dead.
But because they're just a nuisance and all the things
that have happened in schools across the country, between the
violence and stuff and the bullion, I think that's a
lot to do with cell phones. People are having kids
having ygues with their classrooms, are in the hallway and
their lockers, having just disagreements of the cell phones. I
(13:46):
think they should really prohibit it. In Massachusetts Clubwealth of Massachusetts.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Yeah, they also give they give this gives kids a
chance if they want to communicate to in the day,
So if something's going to go down after school. If
something is going to go down after school, Uh, it's
going to be a problem. By the way, I'll let
you know. The New York Nicko Parkers have just beaten
(14:12):
the Boston Celtics ninety one tonight. Boy, I'm nothing lead
and they go back to New York for the next
couple of games. Oh Jesus, I hate to be the
bearer of bad news. But the Celtics are up pretty
comfortably during most of the game, and they Tatum went
in for his final shot and the Knicks played really
(14:36):
tough defense. They didn't follow him, they blocked the shot,
and that's the game. So but let just get back
your cell phones quickly. Please go ahead, sup.
Speaker 5 (14:45):
Yeah, it's about the stayhouse. There's a woman up there
that works for the govern's cats. I don't want to
say her name over there, but she appoints the judges.
And I wrote Charlie Bakroll letter when he before he
left office. I learned am a really nice letter, really
intelligent intellect I learned about that, and he didn't respond.
I had filed so may complained for governmar Healey's office
(15:06):
and never got a letter respond But by.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
The way, just just Robert Robert, let me just help
you out. Just to understand this. The governor in Massachusetts
nominates the judges, nominates people to the bench, and then
it's with the advice and Council of the Governor's Council.
And in most instances when someone is nominated, in most
(15:33):
cases the road took confirmations pretty easy. There are some
cases when a governor makes a mistake. The fact that
Charlie Baker didn't respond to you, it doesn't surprise me
because he had a very good first four years as
governor and then and in his second four years he
(15:54):
ended up with kind of the b team, and I
think he lost focus at the.
Speaker 5 (16:00):
Job of it. Do you think that Mary's showing her
on some job, but what do you think about her accountability?
Herry Swatsavilia's governor. Do you think he's doing a good job.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
I have a lot of questions about what she's doing.
I thought that she's a very nice person. Yeah, I
like personally, but her staff is also I think that
in my opinion, In my opinion, there's I'll say I'll
save my comments for for at some point later. She's
(16:31):
a really nice person, but I don't think she's being
well served by her staff.
Speaker 5 (16:35):
In my opinion, I do, and I think we need
a new governor to really crack down on cell phones,
people behind the wheels.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
I mean, I think that this is an example where
where is Governor Healey's voice on this? Where is her
leadership on this? She's the governor of the Comwalth of Massachusetts.
They always they just you know, raised a lot of
money with the millionaire's tax, and all of a sudden,
twenty five million dollars of that is not going to
educate or transportation. It's going to a parking garage in Quincy.
(17:03):
They might need a parking garage in Quincy, but but
you know, find the money in the budget, not in
an area of money that was supposed to go for
education and transportation. Transportation to me is roads, not a
parking garage. As a matter of fact of parking garage
is opposite transportation. Because you know, but again it's Marie,
it's the speaker's district. There's too much Buddy Buddy started there,
(17:27):
it's never gone away at the State House.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
One last thing, because I know you have other calls. Yeah,
she hasn't qualified and spend enough money and recognition. I
met the house. The people in this this hot common
well are homeless, and the housing that there's a section
a housing authority.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Well, I will tell you I think.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
The housing and he met the house and Mary, I
don't want to think to help the master Hill the homeless.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
I'll say this, I think we have a responsibility to
people from Massachusetts first, and I think we got ourselves
in a real bind financially where they decided to open
up the come Wealth of Massachusets anybody who wanted to
come here and be given shellfon.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
I think we need to read phones back then.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Yeah, okay, gotta go, gotta go. Thanks very much, Roll,
appreciate you call. Thanks going by, Thank you. We'll take
a break up one line at six one seven, two, five,
four to ten thirty and one line at six one seven,
nine three one ten thirty. We're talking about what to
me is an absolute no brainer, and that is cell
phones are in public schools in the possession of the
(18:36):
students during class time. That should not happen, in my opinion,
under any circumstances. So uh, I'd love to hear from you.
It is a no brainer in my opinion. If there's
anyone out there who thinks kids should have cell phones
in their possession, in their bag, in their desk, in
their pocket. Crazy. Crazy. If we were killing here in
(19:03):
Massachusetts and our kids were number one across the country,
I'd say, Okay, it really hasn't had an adverse impact.
Get them out of the classroom. They can bring them
to school, put them in a locker, walk them up
for the entire day, don't have them during lunch. And
if you I would be very strict on that, We'll
be back on Nightside. I'd love to hear your point
(19:23):
of view, coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Night Side with Dan Ray.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
On News Radio. So continue to talk about cell phones
in schools in Massachusetts. We're talking public schools. I am
certain that in some of the prestigious private schools in Massachusetts,
private high schools, the kids are not sitting in class
with cell phones because their parents are paying private school
(19:53):
tuition on top of their own taxes for public school education.
And everyone is paying for public school education. And I
don't want those kids to be short changed, and they
are always going to be short changed. Look, all of us,
the cell phone is like an attention magnet. I during
(20:14):
the day, I have to put my cell phone away.
When I'm trying to work and get do show prep,
I'll see something, It'll be a distraction. I kind of
imagine if I was a fourteen or a fifteen year
old in high school, how I wouldn't be distracted by
cell phone? Why can our political leaders not show the
backbone to have this taken care of this problem five
years ago? Hats off to sending President Spilker for raising
(20:37):
the issue. Let's go to Rachel and Quincy. Hi, Rachel,
welcome you next on Nightside.
Speaker 6 (20:42):
Hey Pan, how are you? I hope you're well.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
I'm doing just great. What do you think? What do
you think about this idea of why should any kid
have a cell phone on as his or her person
while in class at school? It just shouldn't happen.
Speaker 6 (20:58):
I one hundred percent agree with you because it's a distraction.
Number one, And if you see these children, I mean
I walked by a Duncan Donuts to get a coffee
and there was a group of This was like two
days ago. There's a group of maybe four or five kids.
(21:20):
Every single one of them were like on their phones
doing blah blah blah. I don't even know what they
were doing.
Speaker 7 (21:27):
And I'm like, I know when I was younger.
Speaker 6 (21:30):
Right, listen, it was okay, if I need to call
my mom, if I was sick, I'd go to the nurse,
or if I had to contact somebody, I would go
to the you know, the payphone.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
And it's not even that well payphones have payphones have
gone the way of the model. T okay. So look,
I don't mind if they have cell phones and they
keep them in their locker. But you're right, if you're
not feeling well, you ask the teacher. Can I go
to the nurse and you go to the nurse's office.
Every school has a nurse's office. And if the nurse says, gee,
(22:08):
you know, you look like you got a temperature or
I just took your temperature, okay, fine, they call your mom,
they call your dad, they call a neighbor or whomever
you're contact person, and you get out of there. I
get it. I get it. But just to be able
to sit in the classroom and kind of keep the
cell phone down out of the view of the teacher.
Teacher knows that the class is not paying attention to
what he or he or she is teaching them, and
(22:31):
and it's it's disruptive, it's distracting, and it's it doesn't
it's it's of no value. It's like it's like every
kid should be able to during class. Every kid should
be able to eat pizza, have a pizza party while
class goes on, see how much learning takes place.
Speaker 6 (22:51):
But you know what it's and this is like you
said ten years ago, it should have happened, because now
every child is either on a computer or a telephone.
Speaker 8 (23:04):
And there's so many kids that I'm like, okay, can
you print? They're not even teaching signatures in school.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
I heard, yeah, the cursive writing. No, I understand. Yeah,
And there's a lot of stuff that is being pushed
to the side. You're absolutely right, You're absolutely right. And
I think it's because the teachers are saying. You know,
the teachers are at a disadvantage here because if you're
a teacher and you prepared your your your class notes,
and you're ready to have a good class and teach kids,
and half the classes goofing off and the other half
(23:40):
is looking at their cell phone their cell phones. At
a point you you lose your enthusiasm for teaching, and
that doesn't help anyone.
Speaker 6 (23:48):
No, and we need to give our credit to our teachers.
You can't blame them when you have, like whatever, five
children in the corner like you going back and forth
and have them are probably talking about the other two
kids over there that are trying to learn.
Speaker 7 (24:09):
You got it, you got it.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
You got it. Hey, Rachel. As always, I thank you
for getting this going here, keep us rolling, Thank you
so much. And tough night for the Celtics, Rachel.
Speaker 6 (24:20):
Oh goodness, Dan, I was watching the game up until
like you just said.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Yeah, yeah, tough night, tough night, Thanks Rachel. We'll talk soon.
Let me keep rolling here. Going to go up north
to New Hampshire. I will bet you that cell phones
they're probably stricter, and cell phones in New Hampshire. I
don't know. I might be wrong on that. Let's see
what Patty has to say. Patty in New Hampshire.
Speaker 7 (24:42):
Hi, Patty, Hey, Dan, how you doing.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
I'm doing great. Do they allow cell phone much?
Speaker 7 (24:50):
I am not sure because my kids are forty four
and thirty nine, but.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
So they're both out of high school at this.
Speaker 7 (24:57):
Point, right, yeah, and they weren't weren't allowed to have
cell phones then either, well.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
They didn't exist. That then was a problem.
Speaker 7 (25:05):
Right, But I'm I'm on my way home from Massachusetts.
My grandson, both of them lived there, and one's a
baby and one's ten years old. And yeah, I think
that in society today, these kids have too many distractions.
And you know, they it's a privilege to have a phone,
(25:28):
first of all. But you know, when we were growing up.
I'm sixty nine years old, we didn't have cell phones period.
And I do understand why the scores are going down.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
It's yeah, it's just it's an unnecessary distraction. I mean,
first of all, it's there is like any other tool.
It's a wonderful tool. Learning how to drive a car
is wonderful. But but if kids aren't taught to drive
cars and understand and respect that, that's probably I told
(26:06):
my kids when they started driving cars, they said, this
is the single most dangerous thing you're probably going to
do unless you join the military.
Speaker 5 (26:15):
Right.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
We just saw these beautiful three students from Massachusetts who
are killed in this horrific automobile accident while on spring
down in Florida. But cell phones, cell phones are no
but cell phones, cell phones, cell phones are a great things.
(26:36):
So if tonight you break down on the side of
the road. You can pull over the side of the road,
you can call, you can stay in your car. You
can be safe. Twenty five years ago, you might have
had to have dealt with someone pulling over to help you,
and you have no idea who that person is. In
most cases it might have been a good person. But
in that off chance that you had somebody who was
(26:57):
more probably more trouble than they were.
Speaker 7 (26:59):
Worth, liar and you know good and you know what, Dan,
You know, when we were growing up, the way you
communicated was, you know, when you walk from Hallway to Halloway,
from from class to class, you have a conversation with somebody.
You know, Today they don't know how to communicate. They
only know how to get on their phones and send
(27:22):
a text. And you know, communication skills are failing because
of cell phones.
Speaker 5 (27:29):
Now.
Speaker 7 (27:29):
My grandson has a cell phone and he does bring
it to school. He's not allowed to have it, you know,
obviously he's only in fifth grade, but you're not allowed
to have it, you know, on his person while he's
in school all day. But from my daughter, it is
a great tracking mechanism. She always knows where he is.
(27:53):
So I would hate to see them take them completely
away from them. But yeah, they need to be kept
in the walkers till go home.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Yeah, that's it.
Speaker 5 (28:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
I mean, look, my parents knew exactly where I was
because I was going to school and I was told
that was my job. My job was to go to
school and learn. And I know that sounds old school,
and I'm sorry about it if it sounds old school.
Speaker 7 (28:15):
But hey, kids today, kids today have way too many privileges.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Well, I think we have enabled them. I think it's like, well,
one kid has a cell phone. Everybody's got to get
a cell phone. It's like the in the rich neighborhood,
some eighteen year old gets a Corvette, a brand new
Corvette worth one hundred thousand dollars, while the other parents,
we can't let our kid drive at Jallopie. We got
to get him. That's it's it's the old story of
(28:42):
keeping up with the Joneses. But we now do it
for our kids, and we enabled them.
Speaker 7 (28:46):
Well, I hope I hope that somebody in some politician
or somebody that's got some power takes us to the
table and does something about it.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Well, they should have done it ten years ago. Better
late than never, Better late than Hey, Patty. Thanks very much.
Nice to hear your voice.
Speaker 7 (29:04):
Have you called me good night?
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Have you called before? Is this is your first time?
Speaker 7 (29:08):
I am, but it hasn't been a long time.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Well, do me a favorite, make it more frequent. Okay,
I enjoyed the conference. Kay bye six one, seven, two
four ten thirty one line there six one seven, nine
three one ten thirty, will be right back. I got
Allison in Saugust. She will be next right after this
quick break on Nightside. Stay right there, Allison, we'll get
you on. Don't worry.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
I promise you're on night Side with Dan Ray on
w BZY, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Ah, We're gonna go to Allison in Saugus. Hey, Allison, welcome,
thanks for checking in. You're next on Nightside.
Speaker 9 (29:42):
Hi, Hi Dan, how are you?
Speaker 2 (29:44):
I'm doing just great, Allison, Thanks for calling in. What's
your your thought on keeping cell phones out of the classroom?
Speaker 9 (29:52):
Well, I'm a public school teacher here in Massa. Jusets,
I've been a teacher twenty years.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
You sound too young to be a teacher for twenty years.
You sound like you're you're twenty years old. Never mind teaching.
Speaker 9 (30:03):
If it twenty you were saying that you tell the truth.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
I'm a truth teller, Alison.
Speaker 9 (30:08):
You're a young thank you. So, I mean, I've been
there for this progression of the advancement of cell phones,
little by a little, year after year, more and more
in the classroom. So this is kind of a subject
to that is very near and dear to my heart.
And I did want to start by giving you probably
(30:29):
the best logical reason that I've heard to keep cell phone.
That is, well, that is, what if there's a shooter,
and in that regard, having a phone on your person
could be calling the police, master, it could be calling
your mom and saying Mom, I'm okay, and I I do.
(30:53):
I'm more on board for that rationale. The problem is
phones aren't just phones. In fact, using a phone as
a phone to call people is probably the least common
use of a phone.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Well, the other thing, too, is if god forbid, there
was a shooter in your school, kids having cell phones
that could be Actually it could increase the danger. And
I'll tell you how. If some shooter is walking the
corridors and he's got two or three minutes before police
respond and neutralize the situation, if he hears a phone ring,
(31:31):
he knows there's someone in that room, if he hears
somebody who has the phone on and it's beeping, or
if they're talking on the phone. The best thing to
do in that situation is both the door, you know,
block the door as best you can with whatever you know,
and get out of the line and stay and stay quiet.
Let that shooter throw.
Speaker 9 (31:51):
Oh yes, And we have those like alice drills all
the time, and that's what it is. It's like quiet.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
And I also think that that the chances of a
shoot uh you know, I know every year there's there's
a few of those, but there's thousands, thousands, tens of
thousands of schools across America. So I understand your point.
I understand your point, but I think it's outweighed by
by them.
Speaker 9 (32:17):
It's not even that's not even my point, okay, but
that's I think the point that if that were to
be brought up, that that would be the point that
would probably that would probably sway people. And again, if
if there were an app for that, that you could
make a cell phone just a phone from seven forty
(32:37):
in the morning to two fifteen when school ends, I
would be on board. You could have your phone again
these kids are not using their phones to call people.
They don't even call for a pizza. All of that
stuff is apps. They all, it's all. They don't talk
like that anymore, and they don't call if they don't
absolutely have to. So if that was, you know, for
a security reason, my son, you know, might need to
(32:59):
call me or whatever if there's a problem to call I,
I might be I might be swayed by that. But
again the problem is is these boons are not being
used to call anybody on it on the daily. That's
not most of the time. If the kids on their phone,
they're playing a game. Sometimes they're watching Much Madness, Sometimes
(33:21):
they're watching Netflix.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Sometimes beds problems. They're probably placing beds to who knows,
what great level do you teach? If I could ask
junior high high school?
Speaker 9 (33:32):
Would teach high school? I teach high school?
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Good for you? What course? What type of what type
of teacher I teach?
Speaker 9 (33:40):
I teach Spanish?
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Spanish?
Speaker 9 (33:50):
But yeah, so I just want I wanted to like,
I just wanted to give you that. If that rationale
is one, thank.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
You for putting that up there, because it's good to
talk about it. I think the politicians got to get
off there butt and do something.
Speaker 9 (34:03):
It needs to be. There's one hundred percent right, because
the cell phones are the biggest distraction. And the problem
is these kids don't even realize they're distracted. Fifty minutes
of class can go by, the bell can ring, and
they're like, wait, what what happened?
Speaker 2 (34:19):
You know, what were you talking about? They zone out,
They zone out.
Speaker 9 (34:24):
It's one hundred percent. They don't even And that's the thing.
It's not like they're getting scores that are lower because
they're not as smart as before. They don't hear what
you're saying. Wow, So they they they leave class. They
have no idea what you said. They have no idea
what you've taught. And that's the problem. It has nothing
to do with, like again, with their intelligence level.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
All right, Ellison, thank you very much. As long as
they were teachers like you were in good shape and
and you're a credit to you're a credit to the cause.
Thank you so much much. Right, and thanks for listening
to Nightside. Good night. Jason is in Waltham. Jason next
on Nightside, go right ahead, tight on time here, Jason,
go right ahead.
Speaker 10 (35:03):
Then, Hi, thank you for having me again.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
Welcome, so I don't know what the solution is, but
for me, for any parent who's against all four kids
having phones in the school, I think it's the problem
starts at home.
Speaker 10 (35:16):
Right these days we have young kids having kids. The
parents are cooking dinner, watch while they're watching phones. They
do they're doing work at home. Why they're watching the phones.
They're going to the bathroom of the phones. What do
you expect the kids to do? Same thing with the
video games. The parents are playing video games all day
and one of the kids are doing the same thing.
Parents on the phone. Everything is on the phone. Then
they come the red light on the phone. What do
(35:36):
you expect the kids to do when they get the phone?
They're going to set the same example when they take
it to the school because if they have it's from home.
Same thing parents watching read movies, and I wonder where
kids go to school start using for our language. Everything
starts at home. Always for the pirates, before the parents
go to school and said the school should do this
and this, the parents should look for themselves. It goes
(35:58):
back to the the schools tatools. Just because the skill
the kid goes for go to school, the school doesn't
end when the kids get out of school. This school
got quotinue when to get home or does not get
involved with a home or sent thing with the technology
when the kids get home, say boundaries. But the kids
and the person I sat in boundaries because the parents
are young themselves. You got kids, We got parates who
(36:20):
are twenty five raising raising somebody who's ten.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Yeah, yeah, oh that's Jason. I'm telling you. I'm so
impressed by by you and your calls. I'm glad that
you found night Side. Your your real asset to this program.
And please continue to listen, continue to call and keep
me posted on if you were able to uh get
(36:44):
involved in what we talked about earlier.
Speaker 10 (36:47):
Yes, we did. I got a meeting with the twenty first.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
That's not bad. That's not bad. Jason, Thank you much
as always, my friend, Thank you so much.
Speaker 10 (36:56):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
Talk to you soon. To the callers of the line,
you just to call it a little earlier. We're going
to switch topics. We'll get back perhaps this later on.
We're going to talk about the papal conclave coming up
with a religious professor from Boston College. Professor Thomas Groome
will be back on Nightside right after this
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