Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Pay Phones at MLHS

My high schoolers report that some of the pay phones, and perhaps all of them, have been removed from Mt. Lebanon High School. This interests me enough that we are going to ask the School District directly, but I flag the question here to see if our understanding is correct.

I know that pay phones have been disappearing all over the country as cell usage has taken the profit out of the business. Still, my kids don't carry cell phones (and neither do I, usually, unless I'm traveling), and now they don't have any simple way to call home if, for example, they have to be picked up from school (in bad weather, for example). (My kids don't have their own cars, either.) I'm not sure that the phone company would be willing to reinstall the phones even if the School District were willing to subsidize the cost. What should be done here?

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11 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Have your kids borrow their friends cell phone. All of the kids have them.

February 06, 2007 5:34 PM  
Blogger Mike Madison said...

Actually, all of the kids *don't* have them. Mine don't. I'd be surprised if they were the only two in the school without phones. And there is no assurance that when a phone is needed, a friend with a phone will be available.

This isn't a stop-the-world issue; I'm puzzled, not angry. But I would like to know why the pay phones disappeared. I'm hoping that the School District didn't rely on an "all the kids have them" judgment.

February 06, 2007 5:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maybe it's not the school who made the decision. Many times the phone company will not repair broken phones. Private pay phones on the other hand usually cost too much per call.
On a different subject. The school district announced make up days for Feb. 19 and June 13! I can understand the feb. make up day but to tack a day on the end of the school year when the kids aren't doing anything is ridiculous. I think that the week of for "spring break" is a waste and any other make up days should be during these scheduled days off.

February 06, 2007 6:58 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Couple of thoughts...
Actually would to see the district ban cell phones in the school, the text messaging etc is way out of control during classes.
I personally like my kids having one for pick-up calls and emergencies since pay phones are scarce, but haven't figured out how to limit it to after school use.
Wonder if there is a technology that would block cell phone signals inside the building?

February 06, 2007 7:10 PM  
Blogger Joe Wertheim said...

Mike, email the board - the administration will also get copied- and ask them why this has happened. See how responsive they are to residents questions.

February 06, 2007 8:47 PM  
Blogger Matt C. Wilson said...

Have them email you from the school computer lab?

Text you using a free web-based SMS provider?

Write a software application that invokes a text-to-speech phone-dialing web service? :) Are they covering that in the Computer Science curriculum?

Ok, ok. It would be nice to know that there is at least a semi-public phone where kids could make an emergency call if necessary - in the school office or something.

But from what I hear, my third grader is in the minority (or feels like it) without a cell phone. Count your blessings Mike :)

February 06, 2007 11:10 PM  
Blogger Matthew said...

I wonder if it was even the school district's decision. Pay phones have been slowly disappearing from all over the country as the phone companies are finding that they cost more then they bring in in revenue. Do a google search for "disappearing pay phones" for hundreds of articles on the topic.

February 07, 2007 9:07 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Send the school board a note - or sit through 2 hours of school board minutiae to ask your 20 second question.

My kids always use an office phone at the High School. We're also behind the cell phone curve - my older kids share an "emergency" cell phone to be used when they go somewhere they can't easily be reached. It doesn't travel to school with them. Anonymous Mom of 3.

February 07, 2007 11:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Kids should not have cell phones at school. If they need to use the phone, they should have to ask the teacher for a note, go to the principles office, and make the phone call there. This way there is no abuse. If too many kids start doing this, add a few more phone lines in that office area. Kids should only go there because they have to.

When I went school this probably happened to me twice in 4 years. Not sure why this is an issue.

These kids need to learn. Maybe both the parents and their kids got to used to instant communication to make their lives a little easier. (so they don't have to plan ahead)..

Just my 2 cents.

February 07, 2007 11:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cell phones and text messaging are good communications tool for drug communication and use. Is that what parents want?

February 08, 2007 2:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anon 2:50 pm. You're right, while we're thinking about cellphones-- cars and SUVs are great killing tools. Perhaps we should do away with them too?

February 08, 2007 4:56 PM  

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