TN Needs To Keep Kids Off Phones During The Entire School Day
Marsha Blackburn emphasizes the importance of protecting children both physically and virtually, advocating for stronger regulations on cell phone use in schools. She highlights Tennessee’s recent policy requiring students to prohibit wireless devices during instructional time, which has effectively reduced discipline issues and bullying.Blackburn proposes a “bell to bell: no cell” policy, ensuring students’ phones are kept out of sight throughout the school day to minimize distractions and enhance learning. She believes that removing phones from classrooms will help students focus,improve social skills,and foster a better educational environment. Blackburn commits to making Tennessee the top state in education by implementing strict cell phone policies and supporting effective teaching and curricula. She concludes by calling on parents, teachers, and officials to join her in the fight to reclaim classrooms and provide students with the quality education they deserve.
Many schools head back into session in just a few short weeks. As a mother and a grandmother, to me nothing is more important than protecting children. That’s why I’ve led the fight to take on Big Tech. American children need to be safe not just in the physical space but also in the virtual space.
Last year, Tennessee required local school boards to prohibit students from using wireless communication devices during “instructional time.” It was a great start. We have talked with teachers, principals, and parents who have seen discipline issues and school bullying drop. It’s working.
That’s why I’ve proposed “bell to bell: no cell.” No more spending lunch on screens instead of socializing. No more texting while walking down the hallway. No more excuses. Tennessee schools should be distraction-free.
From the time school begins until the dismissal bell rings, students’ cell phones should be out of sight, out of mind. Every student deserves to learn in a distraction-free environment, and that is best achieved when cell phones are kept out of reach. Research shows that the further children are away physically from their phones, the less distraction phones provide.
Making certain that every student receives a world-class education would be one of my top priorities as governor, and prohibiting cell phones from bell-to-bell is a key part of achieving that vision. We can build the best curriculum and recruit and retain the best teachers, but none of that means anything if students are distracted.
Students need to buy into their own education if they are to find success. We can make that much easier for them to do so by removing the devices Big Tech has designed to keep their attention elsewhere.
As governor, I will keep phones out of our schools, period. When students check in to school, they should check in their phone, and school districts should determine the most effective storage practices for their schools. Yes, this policy is strict, but it is designed to be that way. Teachers are far more satisfied by no-nonsense policies, according to a study by Phones in Focus.
We must remember that students learn more at school than what is explicitly taught in the classroom, and our policy on cell phones needs to reflect that. It is in the chaos of the cafeteria and in the friendships between schoolmates that students learn how to navigate complex social situations.
These are the types of skills they need, in tandem with their education, if they want to become successful members of the workforce and society. This can’t happen if they are glued to their phones whenever the teacher isn’t talking.
Tennessee has made excellent progress on improving our education system. We are one of the fastest-improving states in the nation for both reading and math. Our last two education-focused governors and a lasting commitment by the state legislature to bold education policy have made this possible.
As governor, I will work to make Tennessee the No. 1 in education. This may require some tough votes for our legislators, but I will have their backs, and together, we’ll make Tennessee the best state in the nation to go to school.
Now is the time for us to take back our classrooms and playgrounds so every student can receive the world-class education he or she deserves. Together, parents, teachers, administrators, and elected officials need to take a stand and say, “bell-to-bell no cell.” I will lead that fight as governor.
Marsha Blackburn is the senior U.S. senator from Tennessee and a Republican candidate in Tennessee’s gubernatorial race.
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