State Representatives Rylee Linting and Jamie Thompson visited Downriver-area schools on April 8 to speak with students about the legislative process and a new law that restricts cellphone use during instruction time in Michigan K-12 schools. The visits included meetings with social studies classes at Trenton High School and civics students at Woodhaven High School, where they were joined by Representative Mark Tisdel, who sponsored the bill signed into law in February.
The new policy is intended to improve classroom focus for students and reduce distractions for teachers. Lawmakers said these changes are meant to address concerns from parents, educators, and communities regarding the increasing presence of cellphones in classrooms.
“When kids are in the classroom, they should be preparing for their futures – not buried in their cell phone,” Thompson said. “This is obviously going to be a change, but it is a needed change. It’s something that parents and school officials throughout our state have consistently called for, and we helped deliver it in the House. Some schools and districts have instituted their own policies already, but enforcement can be difficult without state backing. This law gives them something to point to and allows parents, students and communities to all get on the same page as we combat an out-of-control rise of cell phones in classrooms.”
The law includes exemptions for medically necessary devices, district-issued devices used for academic purposes or assignments at teachers’ discretion, as well as technology supporting special education programs or individualized plans such as IEPs or 504 Plans. Emergency use is permitted if it does not interfere with safety protocols or endanger anyone on campus. Students may still use phones between classes or during lunch.
According to legislators who spoke with students during these visits, nearly 30 states have enacted similar bans or required local policies limiting cellphone use during class time nationwide. Surveys indicate growing support among both teachers and adults across the United States for such measures.
“We need to promote positive, robust learning environments for students and support our hardworking teachers,” Linting said. “Part of that involves getting rid of a major distraction in the classroom that curbs kids’ learning potential. It was great to meet with students and explain what’s being done and why it’s being done now… These conversations are incredibly important as we go forward.”
