Hoover school board bans earbuds, headphones without principal permission

The Hoover school board on Thursday night amended its policy regarding the use of electronics in school to include a prohibition against earbuds and headphones unless permission is given by the principal or another designated person.

But Superintendent Kathy Murphy once again held off a recommendation about another proposed policy that would levy serious discipline for students for off-campus conduct or speech that disrupts the school setting, regardless if that conduct or speech took place on school grounds or at a school-sponsored activity.

The policy regarding use of electronics already prohibits the use of cell phones, computers or wearable electronic devices such as an Apple Watch unless given permission by the principal or a designee.

The only change is that earbuds and headphones and other cell phone accessories are now included in the policy, Assistant Superintendent Tera Simmons said.

Superintendent Kathy Murphy said teachers have had a lot of issues with students wearing earbuds and headphones in class, and this amended policy makes it clear that such items are not appropriate when students are supposed to be engaged with what is happening in the classroom.

“We’ve talked about bell to bell being a critical time when cell phones really do not need to be out and being utilized,” Murphy said. “There certainly may be exceptions at the discretion of the principal or teacher — that it’s being used for something instructional, but basically this is saying we are not walking into our classrooms, leaning back with earbuds in our ears and disengaging from instruction. … Instructional time is valuable. We need to protect it, and we need to respect it.”

Certainly, exceptions will be made for students with special needs who have individualized education plans that call for earbuds or headphones, Murphy said. “We’ll respect and honor all those needs,” she said.

Simmons said all the principals in the Hoover district are in favor of the change.

Hoover High School Principal John Montgomery said that, in the past, teachers at Hoover High have been allowed to decide whether they would allow cell phones to be used in class. But sometimes, cell phones have become distractions from learning, he said.

Now, “during class time from bell to bell, we’re going to ask them to have all phones and earbuds put up,” he said.

There still may be some exceptions, he said. For example, if a teacher posts a video for students to view on their Chromebooks, the teacher might allow students to view the video using headphones or earbuds, he said.

DISRUPTIVE SPEECH AND CONDUCT

Regarding the proposed policy to levy serious discipline for disruptive speech —whether it occurs on campus, off campus or online, Murphy said the proposal has generated a lot of good conversations, and she’s glad about that.

In June, the policy was shared with the school district’s Equity Committee, Student Diversity Committee and Parent Equity Committee, as well as with two retired diversity experts recommended by the school district’s attorneys, Murphy said.

But more conversations need to take place, the superintendent said. She plans to hold a community meeting to discuss it with the public, and she wants to get feedback from numerous entities, including her Superintendent’s Advisory Council, the U.S. Department of Justice, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Southern Poverty Law Center, diversity trainers at the University of Montevallo, Alabama legislators, the Hoover Parent Teacher Council, Hoover City Schools Foundation, Alabama Association of School Boards, School Superintendents of Alabama, Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, Alabama Education Association and Bernard James, an attorney at the Pepperdine University School of Law.

“If our wording is not right, we have an eraser,” Murphy said. “If we overreached our jurisdiction, we can back off. If we’re on firm footing and we need to be this clear about things that are disrupting our school, we can stand there, too.”

Hoover parents have expressed a lot of concerns about the policy not respecting their First Amendment rights, families’ right to privacy and students’ off-campus time, Murphy said.

She has the greatest respect for all of those and doesn’t want to tread on those areas, she said. Further conversations need to be had, and “I intend to give it all due attention,” she said.

She wants to figure out not only what is legal but also what is the right thing to do, she said.