LANSING, Mich. — State Sen. Thomas Albert this week voted to address the use of cellphones in schools and help students concentrate on learning in the classroom.
The legislation, approved with strong bipartisan support, calls for public schools to adopt policies that prohibit students from using smartphones in classrooms during instructional time. The bills include provisions respecting the need for parents and their children to communicate during emergencies.
“Educators at just about every school I visit tell me that cellphones are a huge distraction for students — creating stress and distractions that make it tougher for students to focus,” said Albert, R-Lowell. “Getting cellphones out of the classroom is a simple but significant step toward improving the learning environment.”
The legislation provides exemptions, including medically necessary devices, phones covered in students’ individualized education plans and devices used for instructional purposes. “Dumb” or basic phones used primarily for making voice calls — without access to the internet or social media apps — also would be permissible.
Schools must establish protocols for how and when students could use phones during emergencies. The Senate-approved measures are minimum standards that provide flexibility to allow smartphone use on school grounds between classes if a district chooses.
Albert has advocated for school districts to enact cellphone policies for the past few years, including amendments proposed during the state budget process.
“It’s too big of an issue for any school district to ignore,” Albert said. “It’s the first of many steps that must be taken to improve accountability and student outcomes in our public school system.”
Albert has introduced legislation to put teeth back into Michigan’s Read by Grade Three law, focus literacy teaching on proven science of reading methodologies and provide more flexibility in curriculum requirements.
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