Randy Bergquist is entering his first year as Crookston Public Schools superintendent and is looking to immediately impact the district, starting with the Crookston Middle School.
Crookston Middle School is a new addition this school year for kids entering grades 6-8, and there will be a new cell phone policy during regular school hours, specifically during class periods. “Some parents are going to be happy with this decision, and some parents may be upset with the decision,” said Bergquist. “A lot of schools are using this implementation of no cell phone use, and an issue with parents is wondering how they can get ahold of their children in emergencies.”
When an emergency presents itself during a school day, parents are now asked to call the middle school office and report the crisis. The child will be contacted from the office following that procedure. If it is a non-emergency situation and parents would like to speak to their child, they can also reach them through the office.
Many people believe technology comes with the good and the bad, and Bergquist believes there are many beneficial aspects to keeping technology away from students during class periods. “Technology is great! For many aspects, but right now technology, in my opinion, is hindering students and staff from teaching and learning inside the classroom,” said Bergquist. “You have all these different apps like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, I think kids nowadays are used to chatting with their friends online, even when their friends might be sitting a few chairs away from them.” The phone regulations could help get children back to face-to-face interactions and communication. The district is also using this implementation to focus on students’ emotional health and learning.
The system will be put in place for the first day of school and students will be asked to keep their cellular devices in their backpacks or lockers during the day. If a student does not put their device away at the beginning of the day, teachers may ask for it and store it in the classroom before giving it back to the student at the end of the day. “We’re hoping the students will be able to comply with the honor system,” said Bergquist. “Hopefully, they get acclimated right away, and there is the research of other schools who have done this, and some of the research I’ve noticed, students feel better about not using cell phones during the day,” Bergquist added, that in his research on this topic, many students have shown improvement with face-to-face interaction with their classmates, but also their parent interactions at home.
