Latest news with #FOCUSAct
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local school systems prepare to implement cellphone ban
May 29—Area school systems are beginning to prepare for the implementation of a law that takes effect next school year that will ban students from possessing a cellphone during the school day. The FOCUS Act, which stands for Freeing our Classrooms of Unnecessary Screens for Safety, became law in this year's recent legislative session and will ban students next school year from using, operating or possessing a wireless communications device in public K-12 schools during the instructional day. The law is subject to certain exceptions, such as students who need them in conjunction with a medical device. State Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, voted for the law in the recently completed legislative session. "I support it, and the reason is I have heard from parents and numerous school teachers and administrators who very much wanted to get the phones out of the classroom," Orr said. "They were a huge distraction. They were causing unnecessary drama among the students and many were relieved to see them get banned." Limestone County Schools Superintendent Randy Shearouse said the current cellphone rules in his district are less restrictive than the state ban. Under the Limestone rules, which have been in place for two years, students can have cellphones in their possession but they cannot use them except after school hours, Shearouse said. "They could not have them out in class or out in the building or halls or anything like that unless a teacher allowed them to in class for some instructional exercise," he said. "That's kind of what we've been living by. Actually, our students have been very appreciative of that and have stated that more conversations were happening at lunch because everyone is not on their cellphones looking at them." Shearouse has heard some concerns about the ban from parents. "A lot of parents feel good about (students) having them on them in case an emergency happens," Shearouse said. Shearouse is awaiting clarification on exactly what the school will do with the phones during school hours, say for students who don't have cars or lockers. There is technology that allows students to lock down their phone while it is in their possession and only access it after hours, Shearouse said. "We were told we were going to get some clarification on the bill, so we are kind of waiting on that," he said. "The school board association is going to send something out soon explaining exactly what this requirement is. ... Then we will develop procedures and policies based on what those parameters are and what those guidelines are." Gov. Kay Ivey was a proponent of the ban. After signing the act, she said, "Smart phones have beneficial roles when used in proper settings. However, these often-disruptive devices have no place in our classrooms during the school day except for educational purposes or during an emergency." Morgan County Schools is preparing to implement the cellphone ban. "Our storage requirements will be students must turn off and store their devices off their person and in lockers, cars or similar storage locations during the instructional day," Superintendent Tracie Turrentine said. She said she would "provide further updates and guidance as the new school year and implementation date approaches." Decatur City Schools hasn't worked out a plan for complying with the FOCUS Act but will do so this summer, Deputy Superintendent Dwight Satterfield said. They, too, are waiting for clarification. The current rules at DCS allow students to have cellphones on their person but they can't have them out in class, he said. The FOCUS Act applies only to public schools, but private schools are also looking at how best to manage student cellphone use. "I think there is a big difference between managing and banning cellphones," said Robby Parker, head of school at Lindsay Lane Christian Academy. "Just saying you can't bring one is not realistic in the world we live in, so you manage it." Next school year they will be banned for Lindsay Lane's K-6 students. "For the little ones, we're going to say you can't bring a cellphone," Parker said, because he doesn't think they need them at that age. Students in grade 7-10, and possibly 11, will be allowed to bring their phones but they will surrender them to the first block teacher who will store them in a case, he said. After school they can have the phones back. In grades 12 and possibly 11 — they haven't decided how the rules will apply to 11th graders — students will be able to have cellphones but will turn them in at the beginning of each class and collect them at the end of each class. Parker said one reason the older students will be able to have their phones more is because the school wants the students to learn to use them properly. "We want them to have their phones because they are soon to be out in the world, and 11th and 12th graders are much more responsible. Some of them are in dual-enrollment classes. They may need to communicate with a college professor, and many of them work and they need to be able to communicate between classes with their employers," Parker said. He said there may be a class assignment where cellphones are needed. "In that case we will get them out and use them, but not every day," Parker said. The FOCUS Act also requires the State Department of Education to develop safe social media training for all students before eighth grade. "People say cellphones are the most dangerous thing a student can have, but I disagree with that," Parker said. "The most dangerous is their cars. We don't ban those, we manage them. Cellphones are the same." — or 256-340-2361
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
People react to statewide cell phone ban in schools
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Wednesday, Governor Kay Ivey signed the FOCUS Act, which prohibits students from using smartphones and other wireless devices in public schools. News 19 spoke to several people in downtown Huntsville Wednesday evening to get their thoughts on this change. Most people said they think it is a good idea to get rid of distractions in the classroom, but some had concerns about safety and being able to communicate with family members throughout the day. City of Huntsville facing another discrimination lawsuit from second former police dispatcher One high school senior said he thinks phones can be distracting. 'I have a lot of friends who just sit on their phone all class period and don't get anything done,' said Jordan Cre. However, he doesn't necessarily agree with prohibiting phones altogether. 'Honestly, I feel like in some cases phones help,' he said. 📲 to stay updated on the go. 📧 to have news sent to your inbox. Cre said he has a hard time focusing in class and typically listens to music to help him zone in. 'If I don't have anything to listen to or look at than I can't focus on my work' he said. However, focus is exactly what Alabama lawmakers want to restore in the classroom. Governor Ivey signed the Freeing Our Classrooms of Unnecessary Screens for Safety (FOCUS) Act on Wednesday. 'I love the intent of the rule, I just think enforcement would be pretty difficult,' said Ethan Alexander. He said he thinks it could be good for students to be less distracted by their devices, but he isn't sure if this is the way to go. 'I don't know if the state needs to mandate it as a rule, per se,' Alexander told News 19. Most school systems across North Alabama already have a cell phone and social media policy in place. For example, Huntsville City School's Student Code of Conduct already requires students to have their phones turned off and stored in backpacks, purses or lockers during instructional time. A spokesperson for Huntsville City Schools said it will make any necessary changes to ensure compliance with the FOCUS Act. Other school systems News 19 reached out to said the same. We would love your input on this. You can vote here in our poll. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
14-05-2025
- Fox News
Teacher quits profession after viral rant on how AI is 'ruining' education
A former high school English teacher went viral this week after posting a candid video on social media announcing she was quitting the teaching profession because of how technology was "ruining" education. In her video, which reached over 1 million views on TikTok, Hannah explained how AI tools have made teaching more difficult because students rely on technology to do the work for them and are unmotivated to put in effort themselves. She said that kids do not know how to read because of read-aloud tools, and have short attention spans because of the "high stimulation" of social media. "They want to use [technology] for entertainment. They don't want to use it for education," she said in a TikTok video which reached over 1 million views. Hannah told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday that she recently left the teaching profession after three years because of her frustrations with students' learning being stalled because of their dependence on technology. "I think AI can be in a classroom in a very effective way if we teach children in the older grades how to use it properly. But if we're allowing them this unlimited access in the classroom to use AI, they're not going to do the work themselves," she told "Fox & Friends." She explained how students would turn in essays written by ChatGPT and when she confronted them about it, they would tell her they'd rather get a failing grade on the assignment rather than write an essay on their own. Hannah emphasized that she had plenty of "very motivated and bright students" and she doesn't put the blame on the kids for these problems. But she thinks this technology is doing more harm than good when not used properly. She is advocating for radical changes in order to help students be better prepared to succeed. "I think we need to cut off technology from these kids probably until they go to college. Call me old-fashioned, but I just want you to look at the test scores. Look at the literacy rates. Look at the statistics. From when students didn't use technology… to now," she said in her original TikTok, which she has since made private. At least eight states have enacted measures banning or restricting students' use of cellphones in schools over the past two years, the Associated Press reported in January, with several others currently considering restrictions. Both Republican and Democratic governors have signed cell phone bans into law, including Alabama and Missouri's governors this week. "Smart phones have beneficial roles when used in proper settings. However, these often-disruptive devices have no place in our classrooms during the school day except for educational purposes or during an emergency," Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said while signing the ban on Wednesday. "The FOCUS Act will enable students to 'focus' on learning while in school rather than on their phones."
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Kay Ivey signs law banning smartphones in Alabama public schools
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — A new law banning smartphones in classrooms across Alabama has now gone into effect. On Wednesday, Gov. Kay Ivey signed the FOCUS Act, which would prohibit students from using smart phones and 'other wireless devices' in public school. 'In my state of the state address, I repeated the requests of Alabama teachers and parents in calling for a ban on student cell phone use in our schools,' Ivey said in a statement. 'Smart phones have beneficial roles when used in proper settings. However, these often-disruptive devices have no place in our classrooms during the school day except for educational purposes or during an emergency. The FOCUS Act will enable students to 'focus' on learning while in school rather than on their phones.' As part of the FOCUS Act, students must keep phones in their locker, backpack, car or another storage location. However, students are allowed to use them for emergencies. Alabama nonprofit art studio that celebrates the autism community hit by Trump cuts to NEA The FOCUS Act also requires the Alabama State Department of Education to offer safe social media training for all students entering the eighth grade. 'As a parent, equipping my children to excel in all aspects of life is priority number one, and what they learn in the classroom plays an immense role in that,' said Rep. Leigh Hulsey, who sponsored the bill. 'The FOCUS Act will limit distractions and provide an avenue for every student in our state to get the absolute most out of their day at school, leading to a stronger Alabama of tomorrow. I am grateful to Governor Ivey for the opportunity to sponsor this important legislation and sincerely appreciate the support of my colleagues in the House and Senate.' However, others think the bill doesn't provide enough exceptions for when phone may actually be needed. 'In the bill, they're gonna be able to have them on campus, their lockers. That's not a workable solution for me,' Democratic Rep. Barbara Drummond told CBS 42 back in March. Some school systems have already taken steps to curb phone use in the classroom. For example, Pike Road Junior High in Montgomery County has a policy requiring students to leave their phones in a specialized pouch that can only be opened at the end of the day or with permission. According to a survey published last summer by the Pew Research Center, 72% of high school teachers across the country feel cellphone distraction is a major problem in the classroom. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama Senate passes bill banning cell phones in public schools
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — Gov. Ivey praised the Alabama Senate Wednesday night after it unanimously passed a bill that would ban the use of cell phones in state public schools. The bill (SB92) would establish the Freeing our Classrooms of Unnecessary Screens for Safety (FOCUS) Act, which bans 'the use, operation, and possession of wireless communication devices on certain public school properties.' Additionally, students would be required to complete a social media safety course prior to the eighth grade. Alabama congressman predicts U.S. Space Command will relocate to Alabama soon 'The Senate unanimously passed the FOCUS Act, which removes the distraction of cell phones during students' classes. There's a time and a place for our phones, but while a teacher is teaching is NOT it. Thank you, Sen. Donnie Chesteen. Let's get this bill to my desk!' Gov. Ivey wrote on X (formerly Twitter). The Alabama House companion bill, HB 166, passed last week. The bills now swap chambers and whichever bill first passes through the opposite chamber is sent to Gov. Ivey's desk. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
