As concerned students of Northland Pines High School, we are writing on behalf of the Northland Pines Student Body to propose a policy change that reflects the educational needs of the modern learning environment. Specifically, we request that the board consider revising the current restrictions on personal devices—such as iPads and AirPods/wireless earbuds/wireless headphones—to allow their use for legitimate educational purposes throughout the school day.

We fully recognize and respect the school’s efforts to reduce distractions and promote an effective learning environment. We also recognize and respect the ban on phones as they were a distraction in the classroom and a problem that needed fixing. However, the current blanket restrictions have created unintended challenges for students, particularly those who rely on personal devices to meet the demands of advanced coursework, dual-credit programs, and busy schedules are new arising issues.

Rationale for Policy Revision

The Northland Pines High School Handbook supports the use of personal devices for “medical, educational, vocational, or other legitimate purposes” (page 41). This proposal seeks to align the school’s current practices with this guideline. Personal devices such as iPads and AirPods, are critical tools for students to:

 • Complete assignments efficiently.

 • Access online coursework, especially for dual-credit programs.

 • Manage multimedia-based assignments that require higher-quality technology than what is provided by the school.

School devices are inadequate and do not meet the needs of most students who require higher-quality technology
 • Focus in study halls or other environments through the use of noise-canceling headphones.

Proposed Policy

To address these challenges, we propose the following:

 1. Permitted Usage: Continue the use of personal devices (e.g. MacBooks and other personal computers), and allow iPads, AirPods/wireless earbuds, and other wireless headphones to be used during the school day strictly for educational purposes (e.g., assignments, studying, online coursework).

 2. Accountability: Misuse of personal devices for non-educational purposes will result in appropriate consequences.

 3. Teacher Discretion: Teachers retain the authority to monitor and regulate device usage during instructional time to ensure classroom focus.

 

Why are AirPods and other wireless items banned?

 The rationale explained to the students behind banning AirPods and other wireless earbuds while still allowing wired earbuds is simply that they are a distraction in the classroom and students with long hair can easily hide them. While it is true that students can hide wireless earbuds it still doesn’t explain why wireless headphones, which are very visible, are banned. The rationale provided by Dr. Marien is that he finds it too difficult for staff to distinguish the difference between a wireless earbud which is defined by Britannica.com as portable speakers that fit inside people's ears and connect to any audio-producing device (e.g., a phone or computer) using Bluetooth audio technology and a headphone which is defined by Wikipedia as a pair of small loudspeakers worn on or around the head over a user's ears. Both rationales provided to students by the administration are simply inadequate and are responses that are not well-backed. AirPods/wireless earbuds/wireless headphones would have to be connected to another device to be able to produce any sound. If a student is using AirPods/wireless earbuds/wireless headphones during class time they would be non-functional because your computer would have to be open. All teachers when they are talking ask students to close their computers which would consequently shut off the AirPods/wireless earbuds/wireless headphones. The other fact of the matter is that wired earbuds can be hidden just as easily as wireless regardless if you have long hair or not. Another way that students could have AirPods/wireless earbuds/wireless headphones playing would be through the use of a phone. Phones are banned in school so that is not an option for students to use. Plus having the ability to use AirPods/wireless earbuds/wireless headphones could actually make it easier for staff to identify if a student has a phone and take actions to correct that situation. AirPods/wireless earbuds/wireless headphones also can not connect to phones when they are in lockers as they are too far away and the Bluetooth capacity would not be able to withstand that distance.

Why should these ECDs be permitted?

These ECDs, as discussed in the prior sections, are all very helpful and useful tools many students have relied on to complete their coursework. The school-provided technology that is given to all students is inadequate for what many students require to complete their learning. The devices are slow, unreliable, and have such a poor battery life that they often die before the school day is over. The school-provided headphones, when available, are of such poor quality that they actively hinder the ability of students to focus on multimedia assignments. AirPods/wireless earbuds/wireless headphones, which are the popular choice students provide for themselves here at Northland Pines, allow students to use noise-canceling technology to help focus and limit outside distractions. They also allow a clear and reliable sound quality that students can consistently rely on.

A slight advantage that AirPods/wireless earbuds/wireless headphones provide is how simple their operation is. Unlike wired earbuds, AirPods/wireless earbuds/wireless headphones automatically connect to a device as soon as the case is opened. It might not seem like a huge deal, but when a student has to pull out wired earbuds, untangle them, plug them in, and then put them in their ear there is much wasted time, and makes the student’s life more difficult than it has to be. This also creates an unneeded distraction and takes away from the time students have to learn.

The Wisconsin Pupil Nondiscrimination Law (Wis. Stat. § 118.13) supports this request, stating, “No person may be denied participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be discriminated against in any curricular, extracurricular, pupil services, recreational or other program or activity.” Restricting the ability of students to use these tools in class would limit their productivity and fail to accommodate the demands of the students.

Additionally, federal guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education further support equitable access to technology. Their publication, “Planning Together: A Playbook for Student Personal Device Policies,” encourages schools to adopt fair and reasonable policies that meet students’ needs. Allowing students to use these tools ensures that they have access to the resources necessary for managing their needs whether they have a busy schedule or not.

The Northland Pines High School Handbook supports the use of personal devices, stating that they are permitted when they serve “medical, educational, vocational, or other legitimate purposes” (page 40). The use of iPads, wireless earbuds, and wireless headphones meet this requirement because they are necessary for completing assignments and managing the coursework of students. The handbook also guarantees that “each student has the right to an education” (page 5). Limiting the ability to use these tools undermines that principle by creating unnecessary obstacles to hinder the success of students. Finally as stated in the handbook, it is our “Code of Responsibility” to, and I quote “Take advantage of all available resources and learning opportunities presented to them and develop and learn to the best of their abilities” (page 6). As those speaking for the students of Northland Pines and ourselves, the school trying to take away our ability to use ECDs directly undermines our code of responsibility as students. As we are told to do, we are using all of our available resources and opportunities presented to us, such as bringing our own personal devices to school to improve our efficiency and productivity in the classroom.

In conclusion, this policy revision will ensure that responsible and productive students are not unnecessarily restricted in their efforts to succeed. By allowing personal devices for educational use, Northland Pines High School can enhance its commitment to equitable and effective education while maintaining appropriate standards of accountability.

Thank you for considering this proposal. We are confident that this policy change will have a positive impact on the student body and strengthen our learning environment. 

Sincerely,

Northland Pines High School Student Body