TEA commissioner calls for phones to be banned from Texas classrooms
The commissioner of the Texas Education Agency told lawmakers last week that he wants cell phones to be banned in classrooms.
TEA Commissioner Mike Morath appeared in front of the Texas Senate Education Committee and called phones a distraction that are "extremely harmful for student learning."
"If it were in my power, I would have already banned them in all schools in the state. So I would encourage you to consider that as a matter of public policy," Morath told the state senators.
In recent months, teacher surveys have found overwhelming support for tougher restrictions.
Over the summer, FOX spoke to State Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R-Boerne) who says she will file a bill to ban phones from the classroom once the new legislative session begins in January.
FOX 4 received a statement from Rep. Troxclair on Monday.
"While I want to leave the implementation details up to the school districts, the data coming out is clearly showing that bell-to-bell solutions like the pouches are yielding the best academic and social results for the students," she wrote.
Those pouches prevent phones from being used at all while they are locked.
Richardson ISD expanded its use of the pouches.
Dallas ISD has a classroom phone ban and is testing the pouch program at three schools.
Grapevine-Colleyville and Mansfield ISDs require students to keep phones off during class periods with penalties for repeated violations.
How should schools handle cell phones? North Texas districts addressing issue in different ways
Many North Texas districts have taken different approaches to restrict cell phone use.
"While we will make an attempt legislatively to ban cell phones from class, we have seen superintendents have done it independently and it is successful. So everything doesn't take legislation, it takes leadership," said State Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) during the committee meeting.
Morath talked about the impact of phones while being questioned about student performance in subjects like math.
"It's hitting everybody and those eighth grade scores are going down across the country. Maybe cell phones are the cause, I'm convinced cell phones are related to that. It's not the only thing," he said.
Morath did not go into detail about what type of classroom ban he would propose.
Troxclair told FOX 4 if pouches are the agreed upon plan, the state should provide incentives for the districts.