From all the info I've seen on here there seems to be an issue with common sense on the teacher's part. This situation was definitely one of those that can be considered an emergency, especially if she could not use a phone in the principal's office. Hey, I'm a teacher.
I know that my students have phones and I make it completely clear that there is a district policy and also My policy that if it is "used" or it is out during class, that I can confiscate it. The district makes them pay 15 dollar$ and it has to be a parent or legal guardian that has to pick it up on Thursdays only.
I know that in some cases they use them to cheat on tests, text their friends at school, play on Facebook, etc....I also know that there are many students that have them for safety reasons such as being in a single parent household, and a lot of my students have parents that work more than one job and they have to care for their younger siblings and/or take care of them after school. Also there have been cases where my immigrant students use a translator app on their phone to help them understand something better. I usually use restraint and pick my battles when it comes to this. Usually a stern warning is all that it takes from me. My baseball players have theirs after school at practice and I tell them all the time that it can be taken if they use them or have them out during school hours.
Sounds like a fight that will be hard to win because of the black and white of the rule itself. The situation there is really gray.
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