Michigan lawmaker proposes bill that would restrict cellphone use in schools
(CBS DETROIT) - Like many parents, Sydnee Neilson is thinking about the next few years when her preschool-aged kids start elementary school.
Neilson says she's supportive of eliminating cellphone distractions in schools but is concerned about safety.
"I think with the violence these days, it would kind of be nice to have a direct line of contact to my child," she said. "I'm a mixed bag of emotions; I don't know how to feel about it."
Under new legislation that was introduced this week by state Rep. Mark Tisdel, cellphone access in Michigan schools would be broken down by age group.
"Kindergarten through five — devices prohibited. Just just leave them at home," Tisdel said.
For grades sixth through eighth, cellphones can be used before and after school but not during class time.
"Nine through 12 — high school [students can use phones] — before the school day starts, after it ends, in the hallways, the passing time between classes and in the lunchroom," said Tisdel. "No bathrooms, no locker rooms, no instruction time."
Fred Gasper, who has school-aged grandchildren, says he's supportive of fewer cellphones but isn't opposed to smartwatches in school.
"I don't think it's such a bad thing for the kids to have smartwatches where there's the ability for the parents to know where the kids are and if they're where they're supposed to be," he said. "It's a potential for communication in case of emergencies — I don't think they need cellphones though; I think they're a distraction."
Adam Spina, the superintendent of Williamston Community Schools, said that concern over communications in an emergency is one he's heard from parents before.
"I think there's two points there: one is that the phones are still accessible in most cases if needed during an emergency. But the second point is from in an emergency situation, really, the last thing we want students doing is having their heads buried in a device when they're really supposed to be paying attention to their surroundings," Spina said.
Neilson says that when it comes to enforcement, she's not sure who should be allowed to physically take a phone away.
"Some people may feel like the phone is theirs; they pay for it; the teacher should have no say, but you know, when I was in high school the rule was you don't have a phone or the teacher took it. Yeah, of course, that's what I lean to what would be right now, but times have changed and things are different," she said.
The bills don't outline penalties for schools or teachers who don't comply. As an administrator, Spina said he'd like to see any punishments decided district-by-district rather than requirements from the state.
The set of bills introduced by Tisdel has been referred to the House Education Committee.
