DALLAS – Students across Texas are getting ready to go back to school and there will be many new laws that impact them.
One of the biggest ones is a ban on cell phones in schools.
FOX 4’s Steven Dial sat down with North Texas state Rep. Jared Patterson to talk about the ban and its impact on education.
Banning cell phones in classrooms
FOX 4’s Steven Dial: A bipartisan bill that is now law was to ban cell phone use in classroom. It allows the school districts to tailor how they want that ban to look. But why do you think this was a topic that Democrats and Republicans agreed on?
Rep. Jared Patterson – District 106: We focused not only on increasing teacher pay but helping teachers with some of the problems that they have told us that need to be addressed.
We’re storing discipline in the classroom and getting cell phones out of the classroom.
These cell phones are a distraction. Kids are addicted to them. There are things that happen where kids are filming other kids or, you know, helping them with cyberbullying, but more than anything, it’s just a distraction from the teaching that needs to be occurring in the classroom. And so, with listening to teachers, I think you saw a number of pieces of legislation this session come about that is going to make their lives and their jobs easier in the classrooms.
Dial: I know some North Texas school districts this past school year were already doing a type of ban. While the intent is to make the classroom a little easier for the teacher, are they going to have to be spending class time governing students to make sure that they don’t have their phones?
Is that going to be a distraction?
Patterson: You know, that’s a great question. I think with any new rule, there’s going to be a period of implementation. You know the word has definitely gotten out. I know that folks have been talking about this, but you know again, with any rule there’s gonna be a period of implementation. But I fully expect that once we get past that initial period that folks are gonna realize that this is a much better system.
Look, generations of Texans grew up without instant access to their phones, to the social media. To even their parents from texting them throughout the school day. Everyone’s gonna be fine, we’re gonna make it through this. And our kids are gonna be better for it.
Again, this is just another tool in the toolbox to restore discipline and respect for teachers in the classroom.
Dial: How different do you think public schools in Texas will be because of some of these laws?
Patterson: Well, I think any new law takes a period of implementation, but I think once fully implemented, what you’re gonna see throughout the school year is more funding for our schools to be able to manage their affairs, higher pay raises and higher pay for teachers.
More discipline in the classroom, less focus on cellphones and social media and distractions in the classroom.
And overall, and especially with this special session, if we’re able to eliminate the STAAR test, which is on the call, which I absolutely support. I think that you’re going to see a much-improved atmosphere for our students, a much improved atmosphere for teachers.
And overall, I think you’re going to see scores and results improve because of the work that we did in this legislative session, but more importantly, because of the work our teachers are going to be able to do in the classroom.
The Source: Information in this article comes from FOX 4 Steven Dial’s interview with Rep. Jared Patterson.
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