Timeline
Phase 1: 2022 Advocacy, Book Club, Petition, & Ad-Hoc Organizing
November 22, 2022 - First Formal Advocacy
Three Clayton parents spoke at the November 22nd, 2022 Board meeting to share growing research about the negative effects of phones in schools & requested that the district do more to restrict phone access during the school day. The Board commented that phone-use policies are at the discretion of each school principal, and that they lacked the data to take action, but that they would collect more data on the issue.
Three Clayton parents spoke at the November 22nd, 2022 Board meeting to share growing research about the negative effects of phones in schools & requested that the district do more to restrict phone access during the school day. The Board commented that phone-use policies are at the discretion of each school principal, and that they lacked the data to take action, but that they would collect more data on the issue.
February 2023 - No response
The same three parents sent follow up emails to Superintendent Dr. Patel, all school board members, all assistant superintendents, and all Clayton Principals thanking them for listening and attaching the scientific data spoken about at the meeting. No one responded. To our knowledge, no data was collected on the issue.
The same three parents sent follow up emails to Superintendent Dr. Patel, all school board members, all assistant superintendents, and all Clayton Principals thanking them for listening and attaching the scientific data spoken about at the meeting. No one responded. To our knowledge, no data was collected on the issue.
February 2023- Parent Facebook Group Launched
The same three parents created a Facebook group called "Clayton, MO Parents for Delaying Social Media" to share the research and build solidarity with other Clayton parents to delay social media and smartphones.
May 10, 2024 - Book Club Launch
A different group of Clayton parents launched a Clayton Parent Summer Book Club Series on The Anxious Generation, which synthesizes extensive scientific data on how phones are severely impacting children's health globally & suggests 4 reforms:
(1) No smartphones until high school,
(2) No social media until 16,
(3) Increased unsupervised play in the real world,
and
(4) Phone-free schools.
The sign-up slots filled up so fast that we ended up holding seven meet-ups throughout the summer.
A different group of Clayton parents launched a Clayton Parent Summer Book Club Series on The Anxious Generation, which synthesizes extensive scientific data on how phones are severely impacting children's health globally & suggests 4 reforms:
(1) No smartphones until high school,
(2) No social media until 16,
(3) Increased unsupervised play in the real world,
and
(4) Phone-free schools.
The sign-up slots filled up so fast that we ended up holding seven meet-ups throughout the summer.
May 16 - Petition Launched
A different group of parents wrote a petition, requesting hat the Clayton School District "revisit their phone-use policy and adopt a proven system, such as Yondr pouches or phone lockers, to effectively enforce their policies." Within one week, 450+ Clayton parents, teachers, & community members had signed the petition.
A different group of parents wrote a petition, requesting hat the Clayton School District "revisit their phone-use policy and adopt a proven system, such as Yondr pouches or phone lockers, to effectively enforce their policies." Within one week, 450+ Clayton parents, teachers, & community members had signed the petition.
May & June 2024 - Collection of Stories
After the launch of the book club and petition, Clayton parent & teacher conversations about the issue boomed across the district. The parents who launched the above projects connected and began discussing what we could do together to take more strategic action on this issue. During these early summer months, parents & teachers began sharing stories with us about how frequently Clayton students have been accessing their phones (and even social media through VPNs) during the school day. Hence, we began writing down these stories on a Community Quotes Document.
After the launch of the book club and petition, Clayton parent & teacher conversations about the issue boomed across the district. The parents who launched the above projects connected and began discussing what we could do together to take more strategic action on this issue. During these early summer months, parents & teachers began sharing stories with us about how frequently Clayton students have been accessing their phones (and even social media through VPNs) during the school day. Hence, we began writing down these stories on a Community Quotes Document.
May 24 - Petition Emailed to Board & Dr. Patel
Thirty-four Clayton parents co-signed an email to the Clayton Board of Education--which includes Superintendent Dr. Nisha Patel--with the petition signed by 450+ and requested that the Board “put this topic on the agenda for the next board meeting,” which was 12 days later.
Thirty-four Clayton parents co-signed an email to the Clayton Board of Education--which includes Superintendent Dr. Nisha Patel--with the petition signed by 450+ and requested that the Board “put this topic on the agenda for the next board meeting,” which was 12 days later.
May 27 - Board President's First Response
The Board president responded, “Good evening, thank you for your email. We appreciate your interest, passion, and research around this issue, and will consider adding this as a discussion item on an agenda in the fall.”
The Board president responded, “Good evening, thank you for your email. We appreciate your interest, passion, and research around this issue, and will consider adding this as a discussion item on an agenda in the fall.”
May 28 - Board President's Second Response
The Board President wrote again, “Hi again, I just reviewed the district policy about resident-initiated agenda items, and there is a procedure in place for this. Please see the attached policy and read under “agenda items.” Your group’s representative must first meet with the superintendent per district policy. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Policy BDDH-1 Public Participation at Board Meetings states: "Residents may be required to meet with the superintendent before the item will be placed on the agenda." It also states "Residents must submit a request to add an agenda item at least five days prior to the meeting. This timeframe is set by statute. The district is free to reduce the number of days' notice, but not increase it.”
The Board President wrote again, “Hi again, I just reviewed the district policy about resident-initiated agenda items, and there is a procedure in place for this. Please see the attached policy and read under “agenda items.” Your group’s representative must first meet with the superintendent per district policy. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Policy BDDH-1 Public Participation at Board Meetings states: "Residents may be required to meet with the superintendent before the item will be placed on the agenda." It also states "Residents must submit a request to add an agenda item at least five days prior to the meeting. This timeframe is set by statute. The district is free to reduce the number of days' notice, but not increase it.”
June 1 - First Book Club Meet-up @ Kaldis
June 3 - Post-Dispatch Reporter Reached Out
Education reporter, Blythe Bernhard, reached out to us.
Education reporter, Blythe Bernhard, reached out to us.
June 4 - Meeting Request
In response to Board protocol, a representative group of the petitioners requested a meeting with Dr. Patel “calling for the establishment of a more robust and practically enforceable district-wide policy to eliminate phone use in Clayton classrooms.”
In response to Board protocol, a representative group of the petitioners requested a meeting with Dr. Patel “calling for the establishment of a more robust and practically enforceable district-wide policy to eliminate phone use in Clayton classrooms.”
June 4 - Meeting Scheduled for July 25
Dr. Patel responded promptly and a meeting was scheduled for July 25, 2024
Dr. Patel responded promptly and a meeting was scheduled for July 25, 2024
