What school cellphone ban in Michigan would mean for students
Michigan is taking a step towards limiting distractions in the classroom.
This week, the Michigan House passed a bill that would ban cellphones in schools across the state.
"The impetus was to curtail or reduce those distractions," said Rochester Community Schools Superintendent Nicholas Russo.
Russo said Rochester Community Schools has already begun work on a district-wide policy to limit cellphone use in their schools, starting with a survey of their teachers.
"In the staff survey, uh, they unequivocally were in favor of having a policy. We do have policy and practice in place right now, but they wanted something that was provided a little more consistency," he said.
Russo, who said he helped provide feedback to the bill's sponsor, state Rep. Mark Tisdel (R-Rochester Hills), said he feels like a statewide ban will be helpful. The ban would prohibit students from using smartphones during instructional time but would allow basic, or "dumb," phones.
The Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators said the issue is a contentious one between its members, with some pushing for more local control.
A lot of schools across the state, including Rochester Community Schools, already have some form of a cell phone ban in place. But the bill would provide districts with a baseline expectation. The legislation doesn't impose penalties for schools that don't follow the law.
"This provides kind of a blanket statement of this is what's allowed, and this is what is not," Russo said. "I think it's restrictive enough that it allows for local school boards to adopt policy but also puts in play a consistency and an expectation for students that takes it out of the parents' hands as well. It takes it out of the educator's hands and the parent's hands."
The Michigan Senate is expected to vote on the bill quickly, and it could head to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk for the signature before the end of February.