Regular readers know that it is not, generally, in our nature to give unfettered praise to local school leaders. When they deserve support, however, we are happy to provide it.
And the Arlington school system’s leadership does seem to be trying to do the right thing when it comes to addressing student phone use during class time.
We noted our appreciation for the efforts in an editorial several weeks back, but there since has been a twist – the state government has started moving forward with its own policies, which likely will serve as the minimum requirement for the 131 school divisions across the commonwealth starting in 2025.
Last week, Arlington Superintendent Francisco Durán unveiled an updated, two-pronged effort at the local level.
A full-fledged phone policy applicable to all county schools is in the pipeline, with a draft to be released in about a month and a full community-engagement process to follow.
Nobody seems upset with that. But what some, including leadership of the County Council of PTAs, seem irked by is Durán’s proposal for a stopgap proposal to kick in at the start of the school year, staying in force until a final policy is in place.
They are mad that, by its very nature, this temporary measure won’t get a full and robust airing prior to implementation. The president of the PTA group said it was like school leaders were trying to “sneak it by” the public.
In our view, that is not what is happening at all. What school leaders are trying to do is get a short-term, consistent, district-wide policy in place when students return to class in late August. That, to us, seems a prudent course of action.
