Albuquerque Journal Editorial On Cell Phone Usage in APS Schools

The editorial in today’s Albuquerque Journal had to be written by a non parent or one that cares nothing for his or her children. Am I a overprotective parent? You bet your booths I am! I like most parents today only have one child so you could say I have all of my eggs in one basket.

In my parent’s day they had four children but only three lived to adulthood so I don’t think for one minute that any parent with only one child should be lax on protecting their only child. My parents let me roam the West Virginia mountains at the age of three without fear but in today’s society one cannot let their child very far without a danger to their life.

For working parents who want to provide their children with after school activities it is a must to know when they need to be picked up so that they are not left standing outside a empty school with no one to protect them from harm. Schools are a lot larger now and parents have a job just finding their students after school. Should school be released early for any reason students then need to contact parents for pickup and schools have proven that they cannot keep records in good order of how to contact parents. They rely on the students with their cell phones to do it for them.

I am not against intelligent use of cell phones and rule that would encourage it but taking a vital link to parents away from a child could result in the school being sued for causing harm or even death to a child. I for one would sue the pants off the school system if any harm came to my child because some over zealous instructor felt the need to take my child’s line of communication from her during school.

Cell phones have given parents with active children a strong sense of security and with the violent behavior shown in schools across the country over the past twenty years it is no wonder that parents feel the need to check in on their children during the school day. School board president Marty Esquivel should stop acting like a out of control dictator and start communicating with the parents who elected him to office in the first place otherwise we may be forced to find someone who can in the future. His job is to provide policies that protect our child from harm and provide a secure learning environment without unnecessarily causing fear to parents of only children. I myself have call him twice in the last year but both times he has failed to return the call. Last time I checked he was an elected official or maybe he is just another politician who does not care what the voters think or feel about APS policies.