A new bill is proposed to ban cell phones in Kentucky classrooms. The sponsor of this bill is Representative Josh Bray (R-Mount Vernon), from Rockcastle County. He got the idea while speaking to a middle-school teacher. The teacher explained to him that phones are continually causing problems in the classroom. “I was at a middle school basketball game, and I had a teacher approach me,” Bray says, “they talked about the need to get cell phones out of classrooms. They said it’s a tremendous distraction, especially post-covid.”
Bray says that the teacher told him, “I fight with these cell phones every day. I’m having trouble teaching kids. They’re not paying attention. They’re watching TikTok, they’re watching YouTube, they’re texting.” This conversation inspired Bray to file House Bill 383, which would require school districts to have written policy to prohibiting cellphone usage in the classroom. Any necessary disciplinary action would be in accordance with said policy. The purpose of the bill is to minimize distraction in the classroom, assist teachers and foster a better learning environment. “We’ve seen a drastic increase in mental health issues. We’ve seen an increase in suicides. Test scores aren’t where we want them to be, so we just thought this was common sense,” Bray says.
The bill itself states, “The policy shall, at minimum, forbid a student’s use of a personal telecommunication device during instructional time, except during an emergency or if directed to do so by a teacher for an instructional purpose. A student who violates the policy shall be subject to discipline as provided by board policy.” The bill allows for exceptions in the case of an emergency or by express permission by the teacher. There are also exceptions for students with medical needs or disabilities, as authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
However, not everyone agrees that such a policy will be helpful. Laura Hartke, organizer of the Kentucky 120 United-AFT (American Federation of Teachers), expresses concern. “I think it will probably do more harm than good. Because we already have each school and each district already coming up with their own cell phone policy. And those policies are not working.” She argues that since most schools already have phone policies, this bill is unlikely to be effective. Hartke believes the harm will come from worsening the relationship between students, teachers and parents. “How does this new bill get those phones out of the hands of students without alienating parents and students even further?” she says, “What consequences are there? Who is going to take those consequences?”
Representative Bray is not the first to suggest a cellphone ban. Representative James Tipton, chair of the House Education Committee, was also in the process of drafting a similar bill before joining Bray as a co-sponsor. Additionally, measures have already been taken in Florida to restrict cellphone usage, which some report to be largely successful. “They’ve had a tremendous response from their districts, from their teachers,” Bray says, and remarks that he has also received positive feedback on House Bill 383 from students and teachers alike.