Group of parents start petition to create stricter cell phone bans for SMSD

As school districts like Olathe and Grandview enforce stricter cell phone policies, a group of parents in the Shawnee Mission School District are taking action against the use of cell phones in classrooms.

They created an online petition "Shawnee Mission School District Phone Free Schools Petition" to submit to the school board to show just how many parents are concerned.

"In less than two weeks, about 800 signatures, with, you know, just our little small reach," said one of the parents leading the charge, Allison Brimblecom.

Brimblecom has worked closely with Kim Whitman and her "Phone Free Schools Movement" .

"Let's not be the last district to join this movement," Brimblecom said. "Let’s be leaders in this movement."

The SMSD's current policy simply asks for phones to be put away during class. Brimblecom and other parents want a full phone ban, so kids can't use their phones during free periods or lunch.

"We’ve seen it be successful in other districts, I think that’s why we want it for our kids as well," Brimblecom said.

In a statement to KSHB, SMSD said they have an action team working on new policies for personal devices in schools, which they will address at the upcoming board meeting on Oct. 14.

Amanda Davis is a licensed professional counselor with the Saint Luke's Crittenton Children's Center. She said it's never too late to make changes when it comes to setting boundaries between children and technology.

"The thing to know is that the brain keeps changing throughout our lifetime, so it is never too late to kind of reset those patterns, to try to set new patterns by having those habits," Davis said.

In addition, she said the best thing parents can do for their kids is set a good example with their own technology use.

"They are learning through observation and that’s going to be more effective than anything you outright teach them," Davis said.

Brimblecom said her kids in fourth and sixth grade don't have cell phones right now, and won't be getting them anytime soon.

"Kids with developing brains need to be outside, they need to be with people in real life," Brimblecom said. "And when they’re spending hours and hours on a screen, we know that it’s not helping anything."

Brimblecom knows technology is not going anywhere, she just wants a better plan in place for the sake of her children's education.

KSHB 41 reporter Caroline Hogan covers development across the Kansas City area. Share your story idea with Caroline.

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