Furthermore, anyone can dial 911 now. Van Zant reported that teachers feel safer too, when working in their classrooms on non-school days. We take messages and put them in teachers' boxes. Instruction absolutely does not suffer, nor do teachers take advantage of the system, said principals. Many schools have voice mail or a switching system, which allows all calls to first come to the office and then, if necessary, be sent to the classroom.
Most principals feel that instruction can be supplemented with a phone in the classroom.
There's a great deal more communication between teachers and parents now. So without classroom phones, teachers who may have other evening commitments or who live outside of the local phone area make few calls to parents. Nor is cost a problem. Van Zant points out that the main cost for an old school is wiring and switching hardware. Phones themselves are not expensive.