Many students from both the Fruita Middle school and Highschool are quite upset with the new Smart Passes that are used to leave the classroom. Even some teachers express how they do not agree with this form of a hall pass. Some think that there are better ways to find the kids skipping class instead of inflicting this rule on everyone, while others think it helps to keep kids in class more.
The Smart Pass is an app that was released about 6 years ago but is just now making its way to schools in the valley. A chromebook is set up in every classroom, a student must type their name or lunch number, pick where their destination is and set the amount of time they think it will take. The max time a student is allowed to choose is 5 minutes. If they are not back within five minutes, a hall monitor is sent looking for them.
According to the SmartPass app, there are many benefits to this system.
– Comprehensive Digital Record of Missed Class Time
-Personalize Pass Limits Based On Unique Student Needs
-Detect & Automatically Block Students From Meeting Up
Although these are known problems amongst all schools, many people find it upsetting because not all students trying to use a pass are involved in these actions. Titus Dedduang a middle school student at Fruita Middle School expresses his not only his dislike with the passses but also his confusion. “It’s not fair that all of us have 5 minutes to get back to class. Some of us seriously have things to do. A Lot of times when I finish my work in class I have to go talk to or turn in something with another teacher and their classroom can literally be across the school, and it’s just not gonna take less than 5 minutes.”
Many students could agree that 5 minutes is simply not long enough. Whether it is going to multiple destinations or even a line in the bathroom that can cause a student to go over the limit which can end in a trivial consequence. Such as campus cleanup, a call home, lunch detention, and possibly in school suspension. Which makes no sense for simply getting what you need done.
You’d think that the consequence for not making it back to class in time would not be that large. Yet if teachers see you go over the pass time, they are able to block you from making a pass for the rest of the day or even the rest of the week in their class. “I didn’t actually think that the teachers would be so strict on the smart passes, but my study hall teacher got very upset with me for being 2 minutes late. He didn’t get me in trouble there but he said if it happened again I would have to do campus cleanup.” student Allura Green said Although many students dislike the SmartPass system many parents on the other hand enjoy the security the system may provide. Ashly Miles, a mother of a student at Fruita Monument said, “ I think in an emergency situation being able to see where a kid may be or whose out of class could be convenient”. Unfortunately, in the United States crime and violent rates are higher than normal, having a system that tells teachers and hall monitors where a kid might be or how long they’ve been out of class can help ensure everyone’s safety.
Has the SmartPass probably helped a couple kids here and there stay and class, yes. But do you really think the kids already skipping the whole class or just constantly using the bathroom are really gonna be stopped by a pass system? The students already skipping class frequently probably laugh at the idea of signing out like this, so why force it on all of the innocent students simply trying to use their pass.
There are many pros and cons if the SmartPass system is used in schools, but who knows maybe as time goes on adjustments can be made providing a convenient way to go around the halls for everyone. But until then everyone is stuck with this silly system.