Cell phones

On June 8, students, parents, and staff received an email with the link to a cell phone survey which prompted people with questions like, how do you use your phone in school? Is it used as a tool in the classroom? What concerns do you have about using cell phones in school?

The district utilized the survey to get community feedback and to involve them in the conversation the school board has been having for a while.

“Students are the second largest group that received surveys but the smallest group of people that have responded to it,” Chief of Communications for Ankeny Community School District (ACSD) Samantha Aukes said. “It is one way to get their voice heard and share their feedback on the conversation at the student level.”

Story continues below advertisement

Schools have already started preparing students for the new policy by having them keep their phones in their bags during class, but that is expected to change.

“My recommendation is when school begins, phones are powered down and put into a book bag or into your pocket for the entire instructional day,” Superintendent Dr. Erick Pruitt said. “That means they don’t come out during passing periods, nor do they come out during lunch.” 

When prompted, Pruitt added that they should be kept in students’ bags for open periods as well.

One aspect that was considered when Pruitt presented his solution to the Ankeny School Board was the TIPS reports, a system to report safety concerns. At the Aug.19 school board meeting a presentation was shared which included  24 reports of cyberbullying which took 48 to 72 hours to investigate over the year, allocating about two- three hours to each incident.

“The time it takes to investigate one threat takes a principal or AP (associate principal) out of the classroom when they should be observing instruction, giving teachers feedback, trying to make the experience of students better,” Pruitt said.

Not only does cyberbullying affect all students and staff but it especially affects those directly involved.

“[It] has an impact on [the student’s] ability to be engaged in the classroom,” Pruitt continued. “[To] be connected in their school, to a point where they may choose to disconnect, drop out or do something even worse, that causes harm to themselves or others.”

Not only are students cyberbullying but they are also creating inappropriate images of students called “Deep Fakes” which harms the victim of the image and the creator because they could be expelled from the school and the school district.

If the new cell phone policy is adopted, the board will also look at new data in December to see if anything has improved.

“We’ll take a look at TIPS data, behavior data, discipline data, attendance, grades,” Pruitt said. “We’re still gathering feedback on what exactly will determine if we’re being successful. Especially if the core idea is to improve outcomes for kids.”

Looking at the data from the survey it displays that 55 percent of parents and 75 percent of staff want phones removed from the classroom, but only 5 percent of students do. If the district adopts this policy it will be a major change for students.

“I understand that for some of our students that [a cell phone] is a safety net, it is a way to comfort themselves and be connected,” Pruitt said. “All I am asking is for the time that you’re in school with your peers, with your teacher, that we focus on helping you get better and getting you to whatever goals that you establish for yourself.”

Ankeny High School has been recognized for helping students achieve their goals and find their path after high school. Limiting access to cell phones may be another aspect that aids to that, due to the increase in anxiety cell phones can cause, found in a study by BMC on the association of screen time and mental health.

“I want every student to be successful and for that to happen we need everyone fully engaged for the entire time they are in school,” Pruitt said.

Book ban

On Aug. 9 the injunction against Senate File 496  (SF 496) was removed forcing public school libraries across Iowa to remove books from their shelves.

Senate File 496 is a law that restricts the books students can access in school. Due to the law being vague on what books were included, the librarians had to set definitions and parameters for what it meant for (ACSD). Yet, before they were supposed to pull the books the federal judge put an injunction on the law allowing them to stay.

“We have to abide by the law,” Ankeny High School (AHS) teacher librarian Jenny Wirtz said. “So we did have to pull those books back off the shelf, but it’s not over. The lower court could decide that it’s unconstitutional based on the free speech amendment.”

The part of the law that affects libraries the most is, “Prohibiting instruction related to gender identity and sexual orientation in school districts.” Along with, “Age-appropriate does not include any material with description or visual depictions of a sex act.” (SF 496)

While reviewing the books the teacher librarians had to define what all these words meant, such as what is considered instructional. And to keep it consistent across the district they often had discussions together.

“We would read things together, and we’d be like, does that break the law? Does that not break the law? Is it just implied? Is it described?” Wirtz said. “I never felt like I was alone in the process, we discussed things as a group all the time.”

With this law, teacher librarians’ and teachers’ jobs are on the line and their license can get revoked if an investigation took place and it was found out they purposefully did not remove books from the library and instruction.

“There was a lot of fear. And I think people over pulled so as not to lose their jobs,” Wirtz said.

Wirtz also explained that it can be a “slippery slope” when overpulling takes place.

“If you can’t have a picture book that shows two moms, then why can you have a picture book that shows a mom and a dad? Because that’s a sexual orientation too,” Wirtz said. “So we’re down to just animal books. But then there’s mom cats, and there’s dads.  You start pulling stuff, and there’s no end.”

Yet, while some books stayed in the school library they did have to come out of classroom libraries because the law states teachers can not provide instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity. If a book that discusses those topics is in a classroom library that could be deemed as instruction.

Overall, the ACSD banned 27 books, three of which were classics written by diverse female authors that AP Literature and Composition students read like “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” is [a book] that people really connect with, and it’s real life,” Wirtz said. “I mean, bad stuff happens, that’s real life, and when literature can help us understand that and help us deal with our emotions, that’s the whole point.”

Students read a variety of books and genres and when they go into the library they can find the book that appeals to them.

“The library is a place of choice, and so every student that walks in here has a choice of whether they pick that book or don’t pick that book,” Wirtz said. “And I think students are very good at self-moderating what’s right for them.”

The definition of a library is a room containing a collection of books. Collectors are intentional about what they collect and the books in the library are intentional too.

“ My job as a librarian is to cover all viewpoints,” Wirtz said “And to make sure that we have a balanced collection that shows diversity and that shows equity and that shows all different views.”

The Greatness that is Ankeny High School

The U.S News & World Report’s ranking of schools is determined by performance on state-required tests, graduation, and how well they prepare students for college. Ankeny High School (AHS) received sixth in Iowa and first in the Des Moines metro area.

There are many things that go into why AHS is so great, and a major part of that is the students.

“It’s about the high achievement that we have and teachers who support them [the students],” Principal Dr. Daniel “DJ” Johnson (Dr. J) said. “It’s a combination of things, high achieving students, high achieving community, teachers who teach at a high level.”

Not only do teachers teach college-level courses but students are encouraged to take them and get out of their comfort zone.

“[Counselors] tell students, they talk to students, especially when it’s time to sign up to take a course that’s challenging,” Dr. J said.

This encouragement helps students to experience new courses and a faster-paced style of learning. AHS had three students in the 2024 graduating class who earned associate degrees while attending.

Not only are students successful academically but they are involved in clubs that help improve the school climate and culture.

 “I got a list last year from one of our student organizations about all the things they would love to do,” Dr. J explained. “I said, well, we can’t do all of this, so let’s talk about at least three,”

The skills and compassion students learn in school is also carrying over to the community.

 “Last year, I remember getting an unsolicited email,” Dr.J said, explaining how a business emailed him about a student who helped them at the Iowa State Fair. In the email, the business told Dr. J,“[The student was] so respectful, nice, and helpful. They did not have to help us, but went out of their way to. Your students are representing your high school well.”

Students at AHS are not only academically rigorous but they take care of each other and the nest.

“The other day, I was out front, I picked up a bag of trash and picked up something else,” Dr. J said. “Then a student came back and said, ‘DR, J, I’ll take that for you,’ I felt very proud of that student because him just doing his part means a lot.”

AHS has many achievements in academic, athletics, and other extra curriculars and it is due to the students in the building. AHS would not be what is without the hard work and dedication of students.

“ Our students are taking ownership of a very positive culture,” Dr. J said. “Knowing that everybody has a part to play, no matter how small it is, it all contributes to the greatness that is Ankeny High.”