Texas’ statewide ban on cellphones in schools has merit [Video]

Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath recently called for a statewide ban on cellphones in public schools, giving official voice to the concerns and challenges parents and educators are grappling with every day.

Cellphones have brought us all closer, and they are a necessary part of life for most people. But they are distracting, for adults and children. In the context of school and learning, if students are focused on text messages and social media, then they are likely not as focused as they should be on math and reading.

“If it were in my power, I would have already banned them in all schools in the state,” Morath said earlier this month at a Senate Education Committee hearing, the Texas Tribune reported. “So I would encourage you to consider that as a matter of public policy going forward for our students and our teachers.”

Morath made this declaration while …