SEATTLE, Wash. — Washington Governor Bob Ferguson announced Tuesday he will make banning cell phones in K-12 public schools statewide one of his top priorities for the next legislative session.
The governor outlined an “away for the day” ban that would prohibit students from accessing their cell phones from the first bell to the last bell during school hours.
“In our schools, digital distractions are causing kids to miss what’s written on the white board,” the governor said during a news conference at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School in Seattle. “They’re focusing more on memes than on math.”
More than half of states across the country are passing laws to keep cell phones out of classrooms, the governor said. Washington state has not yet joined this trend.
The governor says research shows 95% of teens have smartphones, and 97% use them during school, often multiple times per hour. Studies indicate school day phone use negatively impacts student learning, focus, attendance, and mental health, he said.
“Studies show teenagers spend, on average, roughly a quarter of their school day on their cell phones over a school year,” the governor said. “That’s missing literally about 40 school instruction days lost.”
More than 70% of teachers nationwide consider smartphones a major classroom problem, the governor said. Research shows students are more engaged without phones, he added.
The governor acknowledged the challenge parents face managing their children’s cell phone use, speaking from personal experience as a parent of a teenager.
The announcement represents a shift from his previous approach. At the end of the last legislative session, he signed a bill that adopted a study on cell phones in schools rather than implementing immediate policy changes.
“This issue is too important to leave simply to a study,” the governor said.
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