Michigan phone ban in schools: Lawmakers weigh bill that would limit usage in class
Rochester Hills lawmaker pushes phone ban in schools
Representative Mark Tisdel testified during a Michigan committee meeting in support of a bill to limit phone usage in schools around the state.
(FOX 2) - A Michigan House committee considered legislation that would limit cell phone use in schools on Wednesday.
Lawmakers on the education and workforce committee heard testimony from teachers and researchers about the impacts of cell phones on kids and their attention spans.
Big picture view:
After the governor proposed limitations on cell phone use in the classroom during her State of the State, Michigan lawmakers will consider the merits of a bill that proposes what those rules would look like.
On Wednesday, legislation from Rep. Mark Tisdel (R-Rochester Hills) was shared before the education committee.
HB 4141 would amend the school code to require districts to implement a policy around wireless communication devices on school grounds.
It regulates their usage for students depending on their age, including their outright ban up until fifth grade.
Dig deeper:
Tisdel's bill has three different rules for cell phones in school, depending on the age group.
- For students in grades kindergarten through 5, the policy would have to prohibit wireless communications device possession on school grounds.
- For students in grades 6 through 8, the policy would have to prohibit students from using a wireless communications device during the following times, as applicable:Instructional timeBreaks between instructional timeLunchRecess.
- Instructional time
- Breaks between instructional time
- Lunch
- Recess.
- For students enrolled in grades 9 through 12, the policy would have to prohibit students from using a wireless communications device during instructional time.
If districts want, they could add additional restrictions around cell phones.
Whitmer wants bipartisan support to limit cell phones in classrooms
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is going to push both Democrats and Republicans to agree on a bill to limit cell phone use in classrooms during her State of the State address on Wednesday.
Put into practice:
Interest groups and employees at schools around Michigan expressed support for the bill, arguing the problems caused by phones in the classroom stretch well beyond just disruption to teaching.
At Avondale Middle School in Auburn Hills, a no-phone policy was implemented two years ago due to a swell of disciplinary issues among students that started with personal devices.
Doctor Katie Gomez, the school's principal, is the architect behind the plan. It involves students placing their phone in a personal pouch that doesn't open until the end of the day.
On Wednesday, she told a story about a visit from the assistant superintendent to the school wondering why it was so loud and worried if everything was okay.
"They're just talking to each other - that's what they do in the morning," she said. "Just to see that engagement - not just academically but with one another - (it's) middle schoolers learning how to be people together."
Since the rule, student success rose while there was a two-thirds reduction in fighting. Meanwhile, teachers no longer feel locked in a power struggle with kids over their phones.
What's next:
The bill was introduced on Feb. 26 before being referred to committee.
It has a long way to go before becoming law, needing to clear committees in the House before a full vote in the chamber. Once it goes through the same process in the Democratic-led state Senate, it will need the governor's signature.
The Source: Michigan legislature and previous reporting