CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A new state law tightening rules on technology use in elementary classrooms recently took effect, but the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System says it’s ahead of the game with changes made last school year.
More than a year after CMCSS adopted a phone “blackout” policy banning students from using cellphones during the day, Tennessee has enacted another technology-related law – one that limits instructional device use, such as laptops, in elementary classrooms to “minimize unnecessary screen time while preserving instructional effectiveness.” The new law took effect July 1.
CMCSS spokesperson Anthony Johnson told Clarksville Now the district already “proactively reduced technology use” in elementary schools in the spring of 2025.
From remote learning to reduced screen time in elementary schools
Johnson said in during the pandemic in 2020, students of all grade levels had been utilizing the district’s 1:1 devices, primarily laptop computers, with “nearly 40%” of families choosing remote learning that school year. He said laptop computer usage varied by classroom and subject, depending on teacher planning and student needs…