State rules still prohibit students from taking mobile phones to school. (Am I right? Does this stem from an anti-drug initiative of Bill Clinton way back when and the concern was beepers, not phones?)

Anyway, I’m surprised the rule has held, given the fact that it’s a rare teenager who isn’t surgically attached to a cell phone. But I also understand the usefulness of the rule. I went to a concert recently in which a field trip school delegation made up about half the audience. Every one of them was intent on his or her phone throughout, madly thumbing texts back and forth.

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I’m reminded because the Little Rock School Board tonight is going to consider a proposal to stiffen punishment for having a phone in school. For example: Where a first offense in high school now brings a 24-hour confiscation of the device and required pickup by an adult, the first offense confiscation would be extended to five days, with adult pickup.

PS — Though they remain in the minority, some schools nationwide have moved to embrace technology and use portable devices in class. The vote tonight is at a special meeting, rather than a regular board meeting, which means public comment won’t be possible. That’s too bad. Some parents might have some interesting things to say.

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