TL;DR: Allderdice is planning on spending tens of thousands of dollars on magnetic phone pouches. This will make contacting parents difficult, arrival/dismissal even more congested, and is an overall safety hazard. Instead of spending up to $40,050 dollars ineffective phone baggies, we could be investing it into new band equipment, air conditioning, more social workers, or saving it for future use.

On August 21, 2023, Pittsburgh Allderdice High School announced that it will be implementing a Yondr pouch phone policy during the second semester. Yondr pouches lock cell phones using a magnetic system and cost $15-30 a pop (approx. up to $40,050 for the student population). 

Yondr’s goal is to designate places as ‘phone free’ zones -- meaning in this instance, Allderdice. In these areas, the phone is locked. The idea is to promote a healthy learning environment, so students will have less distractions and can be more engaged in the classroom. But in reality, Yondr pouches are a terrible, ineffective method of addressing bigger issues at Allderdice and will only amplify them. Yondr pouches will make entering and exiting the building much more complicated and take unconditionally longer, preventing students and parents from contacting each other during emergencies. Allderdice is additionally displaying the wrongful message that students cannot be trusted with our own belongings, despite a large number of them being (or are soon to be) voting age adults.

Arrivals and dismissals will be made more inefficient and time consuming because of Yondr pouches. Many students can relate to the experience of entering school only to be pushed around at the bag check. They might’ve come in as early as 7:10 AM (for the 2022-23 year calendar), and yet, will still end up late to class simply because of bag checks. 

With the implementation of Yondr pouches, there will be an additional layer to the already crowded and congested bag check. A large number of students will most likely hide their phones, and as a result, teachers will have to be more aggressive and thorough with bag checks. This will make the already tedious process of entering even longer, preventing students from getting to classes on time. With Pittsburgh Allderdice having an already bad attendance rate, dealing with Yondr pouches will just make the issue worse.

Many people rely on their phone to get through the day. Hallways are loud and overstimulating for many kids, whether it be because they have autism, anxiety, or are individuals who are overwhelmed by sounds. Listening to music in the hallways to drone out the shouts and screams of the halls often helps these students. Not to mention, music can make the repetitiveness of walking in circles around the gym for 45 minutes straight less like being a hamster in a wheel. Students additionally go on their phones during lunch or listen to music while they work for more enjoyment and comfort during their education. Simply removing the phone doesn’t address the excessive noise of Allderdice. Rather, it will make it more apparent and difficult for these kids to deal with. 

This isn’t just an issue of disrespect to students, however. This is a safety issue. Many people contact their parents during the day. Sure, kids back in the day did not have cellphones to contact their parents. Those kids also did not have to worry about school shootings. Many parents like the ability to check in with their kids to ensure they are safe. Students can also contact their friends or a possible professional (like a therapist) if they're having a crisis. And with Allderdice only having two social workers, that often may be their only option. Taking away a person’s phone because of some people getting distracted is going to hurt many students -- especially underprivileged or struggling ones. 

Let’s bring cost back into the equation. Spending up to $40,050 on these pouches is a waste -- considering the countless other issues contributing to phone over-usage. For example, Allderdice only has 2 social workers for a student body of 1,300+ students. This is not okay. To break it down - that’s 650 students per social worker in an 180-day school year. That would be an average of 3.6 students a day to talk to each one *once*. If we hired more social workers, or even counselors to see students, there could be more widespread education on how students can take care of their mental health, how to cope with stressful school environments, and how to find more enjoyment in their education. Instead of working with students to find what works best for them and their learning, the school has pledged a punishing policy that works against them by taking away one coping mechanism useful for many students. 

In June 2023, Allderdice Student Leadership (Student Government and the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council) were consulted about possible changes and met to discuss their opinions with school administration. On June 4, Allderdice parents were requested to fill out a survey on cell phone procedure and their thoughts. Students were given a short-notice opportunity to fill out the same survey, just one day before the end of the school year.

We, the students, alongside support of our Senior Student Leadership, will make sure we are heard. We will soon be adults and the Pittsburgh Allderdice Administration should start treating us like it.