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May 8, 2006 8:23 pm US/Eastern
Cell Phone Battle In NYC Schools Intensifies
Mayor Bloomberg: They Are Not Appropriate
BROOKLYN (CBS) ―
They're not supposed to have them, but at Junior High School 51 in Park Slope, most students still carry their cell phones, and it's the first thing they reach for as soon as school lets out.
"I use it to call my mom after school if she's not here," said 7th grader Elena Yampolskaya.
This school, like many across the city, still has a don't ask, don't tell policy when it comes to cell phones. Students can carry them, as long as they don't use them.
"I usually keep it in my pocket and it's off," said 8th Grader Tiffany Lugo.
April 12: Brooklyn Students Fight For Right To Have Cell Phones In SchoolsThe city only recently started cracking down on cell phones during random security screenings of schools. So far, the police haven't visited JHS 51, and Monday parents, local leaders and the teachers union were asking them to let schools police themselves.
"As long as kids don't use cell phones during the day, whichever way you figure that out, it's fine -- either a don't ask, don't tell policy that's in existence here or any other type of policy," said Teachers Union president Randi Weingarten.
But some students admit that policy doesn't always work.
"I've heard of people text messaging answers during tests," 8th grader Emma Woodoff-Leith said.
And for that reason, Mayor Bloomberg said again Monday, he's not compromising.
"When will you get the message? They're not appropriate," Bloomberg said. "The job of schools is to educate kids."
But the pressure on the mayor will continue. The City Council is planning to pass a resolution calling for a moratorium on the cell phone ban until they can hold public hearings on the issue with parents and teachers.
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