EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Canutillo Independent School District says it won’t have a huge adjustment to meet the new Texas law banning cell phone use during classroom time.
Gustavo Reveles, a spokesman for Canutillo ISD, said that the district has had a similar policy for years.
House Bill 1481 formalizes this practice statewide, the district said.
“We have already been limiting the use of cell phones and other devices during class time,” Reveles said. “We are going to continue doing that. We will inform our parents and inform our students that during class time, during instructional time, they are to keep their cell phones turned off and in their backpacks.”
Students will not need to lock away their cell phones or put them in a locker, Reveles said.
Instead, they are being asked to turn them off and put them in their backpack, he said.
School starts in Canutillo ISD on Aug. 4.
“That has been our expectation for many years in our classrooms,” Reveles said. “This law will allow us to continue that expectation, meet the state standard and really give peace of mind to students and their parents that in case of an emergency they (cell phones) will still be accessible. Students will be able to reach for their phone, turn it on and call home if need be.”
Initially, students and parents were concerned about the new regulation, but the district has been reaching out and has sent out letters and made postings on its social media platforms to explain that the district has been doing this for years already, Reveles said.
Teachers are the leaders of their classroom and are responsible for setting expectations, Reveles said.
“Our teachers have a good handle on their classroom management. They continue to set that expectation that while they are imparting instruction, that their cell phones need to be put away,” Reveles said.
Reveles said that the consequences for failure to comply will remain as they have been. After some verbal warnings for violations, cell phones can be confiscated. The district then sets up what expectations need to be met to get them back. That includes having a meeting with parents, Reveles said.
Reveles said that next week, school principals will have open houses and cell phones will be one of the topics of conversation. Teachers have also received training on this too, he added.
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