At last week’s Senate Education Committee hearing, Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner, Mike Morath, urged lawmakers to consider legislation that would ban cellphones in Texas classrooms. 

Morath called the distractions caused by the devices for children “extremely harmful to student learning” and said, “if it were in my power, I would have banned them in all schools in the state.” 

This year, partly in response to data on declining student outcomes and mental health concerns, at least 12 other states in the country have adopted policies regarding limiting cell phones in school. 

According to research by the National Center for Education Statistics, mathematics and reading test scores peaked in 2012 and have experienced a more severe decline since the pandemic. In Texas, according to the TEA, those scores peaked in 2013. 

On mental health, researchers point to the rapid increase in depression, self-harm, and suicide among children, especially among young girls, that followed the mass adoption of cell phone use around 2010. 

In response, State Representative Ellen Troxclair (HD-19) announced that she would pursue legislation in the upcoming legislative session to limit the use of cellphones in Texas classrooms. 

In a response to Morath’s statements to Fox 4, Troxclair said, “while I want to leave the implementation details up to the school districts, the data coming out is clearly showing that bell-to-bell solutions like the pouches are yielding the best academic and social results for the students.” 

The idea of banning cellphones in schools is popular among teachers, administrators, an increasing number of lawmakers and some parents, but it may still get pushback. 

Texas Senator Jose Menendez said in a recent podcast appearance that he expects some parents to fight this law because they have become accustomed to having instant communication with their children. 

Morath seemed to think the benefit would outweigh the potential costs of the legislation. “I would encourage you to consider that as a matter of public policy,” said Morath.