TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) – Florida students are heading back to school without their phones in class. A state law that just went into effect this school year is cracking down on cell phone use in public schools.
Under the new law, elementary and middle school students aren’t allowed to use phones at all during the school day. High school students can bring their phones, but they have to keep them put away during class, unless a teacher allows them as part of a lesson.
Yolonda Smith, a parent of a Florida ninth grader, says she welcomes the stricter rules.
“She definitely doesn’t need her phone,” Smith said. “I’ve had my daughter call me to say, ‘Oh, she’s not talking to me,’ or they’re texting friends and finding out things that have nothing to do with school.”
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Teachers said they’ve been battling phone distractions for years.
“We hear from teachers on a regular basis that students are way too distracted,” said Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association.“When students are pulling out their cell phones under their desks during class, it pulls their attention away from learning. Having clear boundaries is important.”
Spar said the law could help, but adds that schools need to strike a balance.
“Technology can be a great tool in the classroom. The challenge is using it to enhance instruction, not interrupt it,” he said.
The law allows local school districts to decide how to enforce the new rules. That means different schools may have slightly different policies, but the message from the state is clear: phones shouldn’t interfere with learning.
Parents can still reach their children in case of an emergency.
“If it’s really an emergency, I was a school secretary —I know you can reach out to the school,” Smith said.
The Florida Association of District School Superintendents said it expects lawmakers to tweak the law in the future once schools have had more time to adjust.
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