State schools’ chief Tom Horne is calling for cell phones to be banned in all classrooms throughout Arizona.
At a press conference Thursday Horne called on state lawmakers to draw up legislation and send it to Governor Katie Hobbs’ desk.
He says cell phones in the classroom are a growing problem that teachers and administrators have been left to manage alone.
“No teacher should be expected to have to teach a class when the students are scrolling on their cell phones. If you leave it up to the districts a lot of teachers are going to have to do that," Horne says.
Horne says cell phones in the classroom impact the ability of teachers to do their jobs and for students to learn.
He dismissed concerns about safety. He says that during emergencies at a school, students need to be listening to directions, not on their phones.
Last year, Hobbs vetoed a similar bill limiting students’ use of cell phones during the school day.
