NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A bill is about to be debated on the House floor that requires school districts to adopt a policy that bans the use of cell phones while teachers are teaching.
It's a debate that has been around for decades. In fact, in the NewsChannel 5 Archive, we found stories dating back to 2001 on the subject.
"I turn it on silent so it won’t ring, so in case I get caught, no one will hear," a Hume Fogg High School student told us back in the day.
Most Tennessee school districts already have some sort of rule or policy on phones, but there's nothing uniform from the state on the matter.
Rep. Rebecca Alexander wants to change that.
"Let’s get rid all of that. Let’s get back to the basics of kids being kids," said Alexander, in an interview with NewsChannel 5. "We’ve become a nation and a people that rely on instant information and we just need to stop and let students be students."
Her proposal would leave a lot of the details up to the school districts — including whether a student is allowed to have the phone on their person, just on silent, or zipped up in their backpack. Districts would also determine the punishment structure. The bill also allows other forms of technology, like a laptop, tablet or watch to be banned from the classroom.
"We don’t want to see technology out in the classroom unless it’s used for educational purposes," said Alexander, a Republican from Jonesborough.
There are exceptions, like if a student is an English language learner or has a medical or developmental condition. "Let’s just say a student is a diabetic and they need to check their insulin with their phone. Obvious medical exception," she said.
The question becomes — what happens in an emergency?
In the frantic aftermath of the Antioch High School shooting last month, my colleague Amanda Roberts interviewed a grandmother who was relieved she could directly reach her granddaughter to know she was safe.
"My granddaughter called, and said Momma T, they in here shooting and I’m trying to get out of the school," said Tiffany Brooks. "I’m just going to be glad to see her."
Rep. Alexander's bill allows for phone use in the event of an emergency, but she insists school districts should handle all communication in a crisis, not the students themselves.
"You have to trust the schools. You trust them to educate your child," said Rep. Alexander. "Let us take care of alerting your parents."
If the bill passes, will it really end the constant debate over phones in the classroom? Probably not.
But Alexander thinks it will give teachers a lot more authority to take away the perceived distraction.
"It’s a lot easier to say you need to put that cell phone away. That's the law," she said. "It takes the heat off of the school boards and the superintendents, and the teachers."
The bill passed through both House Education committees and is expected to reach the Tennessee House floor by next week. It is still going through the committee process in the Tennessee Senate.
To read the full bill yourself, tap here.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
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