A New Book
Last year was the old book.
Let’s get right to it:
I have archived many of the original 18 pieces that until today made Phone School what it was.
Don’t be worried. Be the opposite of worried.
Yesterday the director of counseling and I met with the president of Simpson College in order to gain his blessing to form a task force to address the apparent relationship between student device dependence and poor mental health and academic outcomes for students.
Today our Anxious Generation book club addressed the majority of the faculty on the subject and it wasn’t 100% smooth but I think this went extremely well. This presentation was partly conceived to generate interest in more AG book clubs this spring and based on immediate staff, faculty, and admin feedback, I think we will see that interest and then some. I also believe we will have sufficient interest in the task force.
In the interest of both committing to and demonstrating my commitment to this cause, I have chosen to archive many of my older writings. I’m extremely proud of all that I wrote and how I wrote it . . . and the fact that for the most part I was committed to writing things and launching them into the void, on faith alone. I’m very proud of that.
Now, though, my instinct is to put some of those babies away. Here’s how I explain it in my newly updated “about” page:
As I move into a more public space I’m electing to archive much of Phone School. I’m not the least bit ashamed of anything I wrote but I am so committed now to working with the campus community at Simpson that I am entirely willing to set myself aside. This is not a sacrifice it’s just part of a process that is actively rekindling my hope for humankind and I hope to continue on this trajectory
I mean that and I know that the only way to demonstrate that I mean it is to do it. I think retiring some of the writings I’m most proud of composing is the best thing for the cause right now. Let’s get focused. Let’s do put me aside.
What’s Next?
Beyond generating interest in our book clubs and task force, our group treated as a priority the idea of inviting faculty to begin to experiment, to take informed risks related to this topic in their own classrooms. I love this and consider it a critical first step. (The first step will be to engage all stakeholders in constructive conversation, starting with students.)
I think that Phone School could be a great place to document but especially to discuss - especially philosophically - the things we attempt here, the conversations we have. All of this for our own good and the greater good.
The big idea is that I finally feel mostly safe openly discussing this issue. If you read one or all 18 of my “first book” pieces, you know that this is a huge step for me. I’ve been walking around so wounded for the last two years. I have been assuming that people will dislike me and that they might attack me and it all goes back to how I was treated the first time I tried to help a school address student phone addiction.
If you happened to read #18 before I took it down, you know that I have arrived at a place of relative peace in regards to how I was treated by Des Moines Public Schools and members of the Des Moines Lincoln High School community in the spring of 2023. I do not feel that I was run out of Lincoln because of my stance on phones and student mental health.
What I think happened is that I was driven by an optimism that verged on naivete and when that optimism came up against a deeply cynical school and overall culture, I never stood a chance. When Lincoln and DMPS chose to reject my ideas I acknowledge that I began to behave as though I didn’t want to be there because I did not want to be there. I made what I view as some very human mistakes and I was treated very coldly and the whole process broke my heart so I had to leave.
Most of this has been very hard to discuss because it’s so painful and complex. As I said I’ve kind of been afraid to talk to anyone about anything1 for the last two years.
It’s just not that way anymore and I’m so glad to be able to say that.
Highlights from Book #1
In closing I wanted to give a very quick run-down of some of the value that I feel that entries #1-18 of Phone School provided me and perhaps the overall movement over the last year plus:
It helped me survive. I’m fine telling you now that there were many times over the past two years when I didn’t have much interest in trying at life or in being noticed for anything. I can’t live that way. I’ve always tried to write myself out of such situations.
It allowed me to document Hoover’s decision to go phone free and to declare a mental health movement. At the time this felt vital because there was no way of knowing whether DMPS would permit this. I also felt it was important to note that, when Hoover wanted to go phone free, they contacted me and I did all that I could to help them. I’m proud of this of course but I also think it’s important to note that I was sort of the only person they could call in this spot, at that time. I did think that was telling.
It brought me closer to my parents. I love my parents more than ever because of how supportive they’ve been through the hardest time of my adult life.
It connected me with the Phone Free Schools Movement. I’ve told you I never had a problem writing into the void and I mean that. It’s because I don’t view the void as the void. When I write or create anything I choose to view it as having a life that extends far beyond the time it takes to create or perform or the reactions of any direct audience. So when I was writing Phone School into the void of course I was hoping that somebody would notice. One “somebody” turned out to be an amazing non-profit dedicated to removing phones from schools worldwide. The founders of the movement found my writing and they reached out to me and since then I have felt much less alone on this front.
It gave me a place to think and write about things that we are really only beginning to think and write about. I’m proud of all the avenues I’ve explored in relation to this topic over the last four or so years and I believe the degree to which I’ve thrown myself into this has me pretty far along in terms of understanding all the implications and seeing a way out. I understand I have to prove this and I am eager to try to do so.
Alright, Then
As a teacher I was never perfect but there’s so much I remain proud of regarding my teacher life. I’m most proud of the sheer amount of love I was able to generate in my classroom which is of course something I could never prove.
I say this only so that I can now say . . .
I think I’m capable of contributing to a community of activism and feel capable of wrestling with some of the most intellectually challenging topics of our time. None of that matters if I can’t lead with love the way I always did in my classroom.
So for what it’s worth and regardless of how cheesy this is perceived to be, I’m hereby declaring my intention to lead with love now and for as long as this work needs to be done and I feel valuable to it. Starting (somewhat) over is part of this.
Life is amazing. It is amazing.
Let’s get to work.
Jack Simons
Other than the Denver Nuggets or disc golf.