Florida schools are banning cellphones. What do teachers, students think?

The big story: Since Florida adopted a law restricting cellphone use in classrooms, several other states have given the idea a closer look.

The Los Angeles school district in California also voted this week to ban cellphones, and New York’s governor called for legislation to do the same.

What do teachers and students think about this idea?

A new Pew Research Center survey found the majority of teachers view cellphones as a distraction, but say enforcing a ban is difficult. Perhaps unsurprisingly, students said cellphones aren’t so bad. Read more from USA Today. See the Pew report for additional details.

The information reflects the debate that’s ongoing as South Florida school districts look to revise their phone policies, WFOR reports.

Hot topics

Board elections: Former Manatee County School Board member James Golden filed a lawsuit against the county’s election supervisor, contending he was inappropriately denied the ability to qualify for a vacant board seat, the Herald-Tribune reports. The dispute centers on the supervisor’s interpretation of Florida’s resign to run law.

Career education: The Brevard County school district unveiled plans to launch 18 new career-technical programs over the coming five years, Space Coast Daily reports.

College leadership: Northwest Florida State College named Cristie Kedroski as its interim president, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

Employee pay: Polk County school district officials are investigating why thousands of employees weren’t paid properly, causing many to face overdraft fees, Lakeland Now reports.

Enrollment: The Sarasota County school district is projecting a 1% enrollment decrease for the coming year, The Sun reports.

School partnership: Hillsborough County’s Pizzo K-8 School might be looking for a new home as the University of South Florida seeks higher rent for the site where the school sits, WUSF reports. The school’s teacher training program with USF also is coming to an end.

Student protests: Florida State University adopted new restrictions for how and when students may hold rallies and demonstrations on campus, Politico Florida reports.

From the police blotter ... A leader in the effort to convert three Alachua County schools to charter status was arrested on allegations of inappropriate contact with a child, WCJB reports.

Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup.

Before you go ... Time for some problem solving. Good luck.