ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Over the last two decades, cell phones have become more common in schools.
Challenging administrators to come up with plans to maintain focus on instruction and not what's happening on social media.
Insert a bipartisan bill to create a pilot program to limit phone use during the school day.
"It's clear now to parents and teachers and school administrators that phones are bad for kids. Especially in academic settings and so I think for some reason there is some resistance previously to get rid of phones in schools but now teachers, administrators, and parents are ready to do so," said Senator Jeff Waldstreicher, a Democrat from Montgomery County.
"You know, everybody has a cell phone now and kids have it and it's become a huge issue in schools where there's the balance needed between kids have a phone, you want to be able to contact people in emergencies but the distractions of having these phones in class," said Senator Justin Ready, a Republican from Carroll and Frederick counties.
Senators Ready and Waldstreicher differ on plenty of topics in Annapolis.
"It's definitely not about Republican, Democrat it's just about what makes sense for us getting the best result for our kids and the best results for our schools," said Ready.
"Senator Ready and I disagree on a million different things but we both agree that cell phones in schools, in middle and high schools especially are really harmful," said Waldstreicher.
The two align on getting the school districts in their counties to focus on a phone-free school day.
The pilot program requires Montgomery and Carroll County schools to develop their own plans.
Phones are to be put away with a few exceptions.
"So for some classrooms, that will mean [putting] it in a pocket on the door in the classroom. For some schools, it will be leave it in your locker," said Waldstreicher.
"I think it will be great because it allows them to limit access during instruction time and see what kind of results we get from that," said Ready.
Both senators are hoping this pilot program can be expanded to other areas of the state.
A hearing has not been scheduled and the bill would go into effect July 1 of this year with implementation before the fall of the 2026 school year.
