Gov. Kevin Stitt set an ambitious goal for Oklahoma schools: to be free of cell phones. To get there, he created the Oklahoma Phone-Free School Challenge.
“We want our kids to be the very best and be the brightest in our country right here from Oklahoma,” Stitt said in an exclusive interview with ENN. “I want those kids college-ready or career-ready when they get out of high school.”
The distractions from cell phones, he said, tie into mental health, bullying and other pressures teens face while getting their education. Eliminating a distraction that potentially can be controlled could help Oklahoma students be better prepared.
At least that’s the thinking. How to get there remains uncertain. That’s where the cell phone challenge comes in.
“So that’s the whole purpose is to help our kids. Have better opportunities to learn what the teachers are teaching them and have this great teaching environment in our schools and not be distracted,” he said.
After looking at other states’ stances on cell phones, and in particular what Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is doing, Stitt realized more could be done in Oklahoma — a potentially impactful policy that wouldn’t cost much.
“I don’t think there has to be a lot of money poured into this I think it’s as simple as, hey, when you walk into this classroom, there’s a box at the front and we’re going to keep our cell phones there until the end of class, or there’s going to be a charging station there,” he said.
Rather than attempt to tackle the issue from the top down, Stitt is seeking input from those who understand the issue of phones in schools best: superintendents, teachers, parents and students.
Stitt said that the feedback he’s heard from teachers is that it would be easier to teach without the distraction of cell phones.
The issue of cell phones in schools is one in which school personnel, parents and students — perhaps predictably — disagree.
The argument is one of distraction versus safety and rapid communication.
One of the arguments or negatives of having phones in classrooms is that it is a distraction, and most kids and teens think their phone is more interesting and important than whatever their teacher is telling them.
Some parents argue that the ability to reach their kids quickly is what saves parents and loved ones stress and anxiety, especially in this age of frequent school shootings and in a state known for its unpredictable severe weather.
Bullying is another consideration.
One in 5 middle and high school students reported being bullied in the 2021-22 school year, federal statistics show.
Some estimates put bullying as high as 13 million kids every year.
For many kids, bullying hits its peak at 13, which coincides roughly with the age many kids get their first cell phone. This can lead to cyberbullying for many kids.
Stitt said cyberbullying is one of the biggest reasons he wants to remove cell phones from classrooms.
He said he wants students to build one another up rather than tear one another down, especially considering how sensitive teens are to what their peers say, text or post.
Stitt offered a piece of advice he gives to his children: be a thermostat, not a thermometer.
Don’t let people around you control your temperature (emotions) and instead regulate your own.