Parents and principals press MMSD instruction workgroup for stricter wireless-device rules as board debates discipline matrix

Parents, principals and board members spent the bulk of a June instruction workgroup meeting debating how the Madison Metropolitan School District should restrict student use of wireless communication devices during the school day.

Three parents who spoke during public comment urged a much stricter approach than the draft policy under consideration. Amy Martino, a parent who said she volunteers as a classroom tutor, asked the board to "give a stricter phone policy the chance to improve school climates" and warned that requiring students to store and retrieve phones between every class "would increase the chances of disciplinary issues and bias and enforcement." Jackie Shore presented teacher feedback and studies and said an "away-all-day" policy at the high school level would reduce referrals; she estimated phone-pouch costs at about $160,000 and suggested district funds could cover storage instead of additional Chromebooks. Jeremy Atkins said partial restrictions turn teachers into "phone police" and urged separation of students from devices for the whole day.

District staff brought two high school principals to explain how current local practices would align with the draft standards. Matt Hendrickson, principal at Memorial High School, said their approach is to announce "phones are off and away," then call behavior support staff to collect visible devices; confiscated phones are kept in the dean's office until lunch or the end of day, and families receive an email notice. Matt Thompson described a different tactic using classroom "phone homes" (caddies) for 9th and 10th graders that has had "pockets of success" dependent on teacher buy-in.

Board members focused questions on enforcement, equity and logistics. Members repeatedly asked what "off" means (power down versus silenced), how staff are trained for emergency drills when phones are not available, and how the district would avoid racialized enforcement patterns. Board member Moldro cited data showing students of color are more likely to be disciplined and said she was "concerned about some of the negative implications" if enforcement is inconsistent. Principals acknowledged implementation varies by teacher and described coaching, family outreach and daily reminders as mitigation strategies.

A central sticking point was a proposed progressive-discipline matrix in the draft policy. Several board members said they were uncomfortable codifying a matrix that could escalate to punitive outcomes; others argued the policy should set a district "floor" so schools lacking local practices have consistent guidance. Administration noted the statute requires certain exemptions (for IEPs and 504 plans) and has opened the policy to language clarifying ADA-related accommodations.

Members also debated practical barriers to a full-day, K12 ban at large high schools: storage logistics for 1,500,000 students, open-campus lunch where students leave campus, students who must be reachable for work or childcare, and parent acceptance. Principals warned that locking phones away for an entire day would be difficult to operate at large high schools and said some parents expect access during off-campus lunch.

The administration reported two language updates in the current drafts: Policy 4403 now explicitly includes "earbuds," and Policy 4404 adds field-trip language. Board members requested clearer reporting and data collection on confiscations, demographic tracking to monitor disproportionality, and exploration of non-punitive alternatives such as incentive programs, pouches, or communitywide adoption models.

No final vote on the policies was taken at the workgroup; the board must adopt policies by July 1 to meet statutory requirements. The meeting record shows the board intends to revisit progressive-discipline language before the end-of-month vote and to consider funding and implementation support for storage solutions and professional development.