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A poster near the entrance of the men’s restroom at Delphos-Jefferson High School reminds students to adhere to the school’s cell phone policy, which prohibits the use of phones throughout the school day. DELPHOS — The problem of cell phones in school has perplexed Chad Brinkman since he became principal of Delphos-Jefferson High School eight years ago. Brinkman surveyed students when he took over the high school in 2016, hoping to craft a new policy to limit distractions caused by cell phone use in class with input from his students. He drafted a policy permitting students to check their phones between classes and at lunch, as well as special circumstances in the classroom with permission from a teacher, so students would learn to use their phones responsibly. Brinkman came to regret his approach several years later. Students hardly talked to one another at lunch, choosing instead to scroll through social media on their phones or send each other messages, Brinkman recalled. “It was unreal,” he said. “It was like watching robots in a room and they’re all on their cell phones. The only communication was when kids would get messages from each other.” Then a fight broke out after students shared another student’s nude photos, Brinkman said. Brinkman decided to ban phones throughout the school day — no more exceptions for lunch or passing periods. “(Students) may have thought they were being responsible at lunch,” Brinkman said, “but what they were doing is bringing all that drama into the classroom. They may not have had their cell phones, but they already started the drama. So now kids are talking about the drama from lunch and not what is being lectured.” ‘We don’t go into our jobs and lock our phones in pouches’ K-12 schools across Ohio are adopting policies to limit cell phone use during the school day to comply with a new law signed by Gov. Mike DeWine this year. The law requires schools to formalize their cell phone rules in writing by July, though it stops short of requiring them to ban phones throughout the school day. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce drafted a model policy urging schools to ban phones throughout the school day, with exceptions for students who need access to a cell phone as part of the individualized education plan or to monitor a health issue like epilepsy. A recent ODEW survey found only 41% of districts with a policy in place or in progress took this approach, while 45% of districts opted for less restrictive policies. Lima schools took the second approach: Phones are prohibited throughout the school day for elementary and middle school students, while students at Lima Senior High School are allowed to check their phones during lunch. “We need to start teaching (our students) to be responsible,” Superintendent Jill Ackerman said. “We don’t go into our jobs and lock our phones up in pouches.” The policy, adopted by the school board Monday, formalizes an approach Lima schools has unofficially practiced for years, though teachers now need permission from a principal if they intend to use cell phones for a lesson. Schools test magnetic pouches to keep phones away Administrators at Wapakoneta schools wanted a zero-tolerance policy toward cell phones, so the district purchased pouches this past summer for students to store their phones in during the school day. Each student is assigned his or her own pouch, which is locked with a special magnet made available to students as they enter and leave the building each day. The result: Fewer cell phone violations, fewer disciplinary incidents because of students bullying each other on social media and more time spent paying attention in class or talking to classmates, Superintendent Aaron Rex said. To ensure students are following the rules, principals make random classroom visits and ask to see the pouches, Rex said. Some kids resorted to using decoy phones to trick their teachers, Rex said, but students will often report their classmates for violating the rules. “They don’t want certain students to be allowed to use their phones,” Rex said. The magnetic pouches are gaining in popularity as schools search for more effective means to keep students off their phones. Perry schools started using pouches in August after previously permitting students at the high school to check their phones at lunch. Superintendent Kelly Schooler said students are predominantly cooperative. Students are ‘fine without their phone’ Brinkman tried a similar approach at Delphos-Jefferson years earlier when he purchased pouches for teachers to hang from their doors, though the pouches did not lock. Students got around it by pretending to leave their phones at home or claiming their parents gave them permission to keep their phone during class, he said. Brinkman then tried calling parents on second and third violations, but found parents didn’t want to be called each time their child got caught using their cell phone. He now relies on progressive discipline to enforce the high school’s zero-tolerance policy, with discipline escalating from warnings and confiscation to detention, Saturday school and parent meetings, but Brinkman does not use pouches or other devices to keep students off their phones. “They have all kinds of ways to get through anything,” Brinkman said. “The kids are creative.” The magnetic pouches at Wapakoneta schools initially prompted complaints from parents who worried they wouldn’t be able to reach their child during an emergency or that students may forget to unlock their phones on their way to the bus. Rex assured parents they can still email their child or call the main office if they need to get ahold of their child during the school day, and that the school buildings remain open until 8 p.m. in case students need to unlock their phones, he said. Rex said he doesn’t want students on their phones in the event of a shooting or emergency. The district employs school resource officers in each of its buildings for emergencies, he said, so students and teachers can focus on staying safe. “You have to get past the pushback of, ‘Why are you doing this,’” Rex said. “(Students) are going to be fine without their phone. They’re actually going to be better off without having their phones.” Districts where phones are banned throughout the school day: Allen East Bath (policy in progress) Delphos Elida Heir Force Minster Ottawa-Glandorf Pandora-Gilboa Perry Wapakoneta Districts where cell phones are permitted during certain times: Apollo Auglaize Educational Academy Community School (prep work underway) Columbus Grove Fort Recovery (prep work underway) Jennings Kalida Leipsic Lima New Knoxville Spencerville (prep work underway) No policy started: Bluffton Shawnee Source: Ohio Department of Education and Workforce school district policy surveyNEW YORK and AMSTERDAM , Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices ("S&P DJI"), the world's leading index provider, today announced the results of the annual Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) rebalancing and reconstitution. The DJSI are float-adjusted market capitalization weighted indices that measure the performance of companies selected using environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Top trending stories from the past week. News, Sports, and more throughout the week. The week's obituaries, delivered to your inbox.
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When the Nebraska football team gathered for its Thursday practice prior to the Wisconsin game, offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen wanted to see a game-ready unit. Anything other than the best wasn’t good enough, and Holgorsen backed it up. The players who made mistakes, even committing false start penalties during that practice didn’t play on Saturday because of it, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said. Those who did their job got their chance, though, with Rhule identifying senior wide receiver Isiaha Garcia-Castaneda as one such beneficiary. So while Holgorsen’s playcalling was part of Nebraska’s 44-point outburst against the Badgers, his general approach is what Rhule appreciates most. “You hear Dana on the headset, the whole time he’s just talking about execution,” Rhule said. “... There’s a real focus on execution and when the guys execute the play calls. I think that was the message to the guys — if you execute and practice at a high level, you’re going to have an opportunity to play in the game.” Changes have been limited in Holgorsen’s short time as NU’s offensive coordinator, but he did make sure the Huskers scaled back the number of plays in their playbook. “We’re still doing a lot,” Rhule said, while crediting assistant coaches Glenn Thomas, Garret McGuire and Marcus Satterfield for their work in helping Holgorsen get accustomed to the team’s offensive setup. A “collaborative” gameplanning process that involves those coaches poring over game film and strategy together has led to results, but Rhule again emphasized that improvements from the players, not the coaches, is what has led to better results. When Nebraska was in rhythm on Saturday and stayed ahead of the chains, the Huskers were nearly impossible to slow down. When penalties, turnovers or miscues like snapping on the wrong count happened, though, the offense’s progress was halted. The clear difference? Execution. “It’s kind of a blend of everything we’ve been trying to say to them all year coming to life,” Rhule said of Nebraska’s 44-point performance. “I think the thing Dana’s done a great job is, he’s cut things down to a degree, but he’s demanding that they execute if they want to get on the field.” Nebraska also couldn’t have cut apart the Wisconsin defense without a reinvigorated showing from quarterback Dylan Raiola. Having thrown at least one interception in his previous five starts, Raiola finished the game turnover-free for the first time since September. The freshman also completed 28-of-38 passes for 293 yards and one touchdown, his biggest passing output other than a 297-yard performance against Illinois. Part of the reason for the turnaround was health-related following the back injury Raiola suffered against UCLA. Held out of practice over the bye, Raiola was “ginger” the whole game against USC according to Rhule but was more comfortable with moving around and sliding up in the pocket last Saturday. Getting the ball out quickly and accurately also helped Raiola’s timing within the offense. “He was just taking completions, taking what was there and not trying to do too much,” Rhule said of Raiola. “Playing as a freshman in the Big Ten is really, really hard; it requires tough people and I think Dylan’s been tough in that he’s gotten better every week.” Nebraska’s progress will be tested in a matchup against the nation’s No. 12 scoring defense, an Iowa unit that is allowing just 17.7 points per game. Another week with Holgorsen at the helm will help Nebraska with that challenge as the Huskers look to build on their recent offensive surge. “Just the rhythm of the way he does things means total sense to me,” Rhule said of Holgorsen. “... If I coach with Dana for one more week or if we coach together for the next 10 years, I’ll be a better coach as a result.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Suspension Could Be Coming For Colorado QB Shedeur SandersVALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) — All Wright had 26 points in Valparaiso's 93-77 victory against Central Michigan on Saturday night. Wright shot 7 for 16 (4 for 8 from 3-point range) and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line for the Beacons (5-4). Tyler Schmidt scored 21 points and added six rebounds. Jefferson Monegro had 16 points and shot 3 for 5 (2 for 3 from 3-point range) and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line. The Chippewas (5-4) were led in scoring by Anthony Pritchard, who finished with 20 points and six rebounds. Ugnius Jarusevicius added 18 points and six rebounds for Central Michigan. Jakobi Heady had 13 points, six rebounds and three steals. Valparaiso led Central Michigan 36-31 at the half, with Wright (13 points) its high scorer before the break. Valparaiso took the lead for what would be the final time on Schmidt's 3-pointer with 10:13 remaining in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .