Whitmer to call for cellphone restrictions in Michigan schools during State of the State
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to discuss the topic during her seventh State of the State address in Lansing on Wednesday.
Maysoon Aidem, a mother of two in Oakland County, says she's all for limiting distractions in the classroom but worries about an emergency situation.
"If God forbid, anything happens in the schools, and I'm not able to get ahold of my child, I am going to sit there in panic mode waiting for the school officials to reach out to me," she said.
Aidem said the issue of phones in schools pops up a lot in conversation, but she hears a real mixed bag as far as solutions.
"I remember mentioning it to my husband, and him automatically saying, 'Yes, ban them,' and me feeling like, 'I'm sorry. Wait a minute. No, no. Let's look at the reality of our lives. Let's look at the reality of our culture,'" she said.
Currently, Michigan does not have a law on the books that bans cellphones inside the classroom. Republican state Rep. Mark Tisdel introduced legislation late last year to implement a statewide ban, but it didn't pass at the time.
"It is not a ban on smart devices or cellphones in schools. It's a restriction or prohibition of use in specific places and specific times," said Tisdel.
Tisdel reintroduced his bill on Wednesday ahead of the State of the State address. He says he'd love to see the governor work to pass it or he'd be happy to work in a bipartisan fashion to draft a new version.
"I'm absolutely thrilled that the governor is interested in this and sees it as a priority," he said.
For Aidem, she feels that boundaries for cell phones need to begin with parents.
"Everything starts in the household," she said.
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