CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — What would you do if you didn't have access to your cell phone throughout the day? Students in Texas schools will have to consider that possibility after Texas Education Agency Commissioner of Education Mike Morath suggested a statewide ban on cell phones in schools.
Some parents spoke with Neighborhood News reporter Alexis Scott on Thursday about their thoughts on the possible ban.
“I think that’s an injustice to the parents and the children in the event of an emergency," parent Bette Cranford said. "To have them accessible to the children while they’re in the classroom and in the event of an emergency is critical to their well-being as well as their safety at times.”
On Wednesday, Morath spoke with lawmakers during a Senate Education Committee hearing and addressed his idea for the ban. He's hoping many of them agree with implementing the ban in public schools starting next year.
“Cell phones are incredibly distracting to any kind of cognitive process," Morath emphasized.
The topic comes as Morath discusses student outcomes on testing and exams. Senate lawmakers remain concerned after standardized test scores continue to decline following the pandemic. Others added they are worried about student’s mental health when it comes to the use of cell phones and various devices.
“You probably don’t even need that research if you have a cell phone because they are distracting," Morath said. "When cell phones can be removed from the classroom, kids learn more. We want kids to learn as much as possible in schools.”
With the removal of cell phones, some parents fear not being able to reach their child during an emergency. As of this month, there have been more than 45 school shootingsin the nation since the start of the year.
Nancy Vera, with the Corpus Christi American Federation of Teachers Union, believes cell phones are not the only issues at hand.
“I know that some parents do have concerns regarding safety, but remember we hadn’t always had cell phones. When I was in schools we didn’t have cell phones and we were fine," Vera said."We should be looking at more restrictive gun laws. The cell phone with the safety situation is a symptom, it’s not the solution.”
Other districts in Texas like Houston ISD, Austin ISD, and Keller ISD have implemented strict cell phone policies on campuses. Locally, Corpus Christi Independent School District has also cracked down on cell phone use in the classroom.
In addition, Vera said that other districts in the Coastal Bend should follow behind.
“They should hop on the bandwagon and I know that we are desperate as teachers to try and get those cell phones out of the way," Vera said.
KRIS 6 reached out to CCISD and received the following statement:
"CCISD actively monitors, but does not weigh in on proposed legislation.”
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