Legislation to require schools to develop and enforce policies to restrict personal electronic devices in classrooms cleared the Michigan Senate Thursday with wide bipartisan support. One of the bills heads now to Governor Gretchen Whitmer for her signature while the other must be approved by the House for a law to take effect.
Whitmer called for the legislation last year in her State of the State address to help curb classroom distractions and digital bullying caused by use of personal electronics. But efforts last year stalled as House Republicans and Senate Democrats took divergent tacks to address personal electronics interfering with learning.
“Yes, we can come together across the aisle and across chambers to do the right things for kids, parents and schools,” said Senator Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia), a bill sponsor and former teacher who chairs the Senate Education Committee.
The legislation sets exceptions for medical devices, emergency communications and using electronics for instructional purposes. Polehanki said the rules would set a floor for schools, but nothing stops schools or districts from enacting additional standards.
“These bills reflect the minimum that schools must implement regarding school cell phone use, but schools can implement more-strict policies if they so choose,” she said.
Local school officials and some parents expressed concerns initially that districts should be allowed to tailor their own policies. Others said a statewide policy would shield district officials from blowback from parents and students.
Don Wotruba, executive director of the Michigan Association of School Boards, said it may take a while for families and students to get used to the state-mandated rules.
“Schools will follow the law and kids will have to learn to live without their phones during school,” he told Michigan Public Radio. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I’m sure it won’t be just smooth sailing for every school district. Even as local districts have adopted their own policies, they’ve seen pushback.”
Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia already have some type of requirements for schools to enact controls on electronic devices in schools and classrooms.
