Cell phones are everywhere in modern life, including public schools.
Right now, a bill before the legislature is aiming to curb the use of digital devices in classrooms across the state.
House Bill 57, by Anchorage Representative Zach Fields, seeks to improve the learning environment of Alaskan schools by mandating the Department of Education to create a policy that mandates that school districts create and adopt their own policy regarding the use of digital devices in schools.
The bill was heard Monday in the House Education Committee.
Fields explains some of the details of the bill to the committee, saying, “Some of the nuances are things like, should kids be allowed to use their cell phones at lunch? The bill before you does not allow that, and there are a lot of reasons for that. We heard testimony from administrators around the state. We also heard testimony from national experts. When you look at the policy question of, should you prohibit cell phones all day or just during class, the evidence is pretty clear that just having a cell phone that’s accessible in a backpack degrades student achievement.”
Although cell phones would be prohibited under the bill, student resources like tablets and other digital learning devices would still be allowed.
“Schools, under this policy, will continue to be allowed to, for example, use Chromebooks to conduct reading assessments and so on,” Fields said.
Kelly Lessens, a member of the Anchorage School Board, testified about the plans her district has when it comes to cell phones.
“The policy that the board will be considering, if it’s passed, would prohibit elementary and middle school students from accessing those devices during the school day,” Lessens said. “[It would] prohibit high school students from accessing devices during class time, but allow them to do so during passing periods and lunch.”
As of October 2024 at least 29 states have introduced legislation regarding cell phone use in schools, eight of which have passed legislation restricting their use.
HB57 was previously heard in the House, Labor and Commerce Committee.
