NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee state lawmakers are pushing a bill that would mandate school districts across the state to ban the use of personal devices—including cell phones, laptops, and smartwatches—during instructional time.
Having already passed both the House and Senate, the bill aims to reduce distractions and enhance student engagement by limiting technology use in classrooms.
One local charter school, KIPP Nashville, has already implemented a similar policy.
The school introduced a rule last year that locks all electronic devices inside magnetic pouches during the school day. Students and staff say the move has made a significant impact on focus, classroom participation, and even attendance.
Emily Smith, a biology teacher at KIPP Nashville, believes that the policy has allowed her students to engage more deeply with their lessons.
“We’re working to make the curriculum more engaging. We’re doing more hands-on activities. As a biology teacher, it’s great because we have labs and real-world applications to explore,” Smith said.
The results speak for themselves. Since the policy was implemented, KIPP Nashville has seen a 37% decrease in chronic absenteeism, with attendance now at 95%.
Smith attributes the change to the students’ increased engagement, saying, “Scores have gone up. Students are more involved in class, participating more, and having better interactions with each other.”
For students like Janaeci Brown, a junior at KIPP Nashville, the policy offers a much-needed break from the constant screen time that can dominate their day.
“It gives us that break from being on a screen all day and allows us to actually interact face to face,” Brown said.
Fellow student Peyton Marks also praised the Yonder pouches, which hold the students' phones during the school day.
“I feel like it’s made me focus a lot more on what I’m doing, the people I’m talking to. It’s helped me grow in my conversations and build genuine friendships,” Marks said.
The proposed statewide ban on devices during instructional time has garnered support from students and educators alike.
Brown believes the change will be beneficial once students get used to it. “I think it will be very impactful,” she said. “Very beneficial after everyone's, you know, getting used to it, actually putting their phone in a Yonder, and just being able to see the positive over the negatives.”
However, not everyone was initially on board with the idea. When KIPP Nashville first introduced the policy, students and parents expressed concerns about the inability to contact loved ones during emergencies.
Smith acknowledged those concerns, particularly in the wake of school safety concerns, but emphasized that in the event of an emergency, her students’ focus needs to be on safety, not their phones.
“If kids are distracted by trying to text home while I’m trying to give them directions, it makes it harder for me to get them to safety,” Smith said. “If something were to happen, the pouches can be cut open, and once we’re in a safe place, we can contact parents.”
The bill allows for exceptions, including for students who are English language learners or have medical or developmental conditions. Additionally, the bill permits students to use their devices in the event of an emergency.
However, the sponsor of the bill said that the proposal insists school districts should handle all communication in a crisis, not students themselves.
For KIPP Nashville, the lessons learned extend beyond traditional subjects like math, science, and literature. Students are also learning how to unplug, connect face-to-face, and engage more meaningfully with their peers.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at kelsey.gibbs@newschannel5.com
Fundraising efforts are underway in Brownsville and Nutbush, TN to build a statue for a major superstar who was raised there, Anna Mae Bullock. You probably know her by her stage name, Tina Turner. I was a huge fan of Tina and glad to see efforts are underway to showcase more of her ties to West Tennessee.
-Lelan Statom
