KC teachers union leader says Missouri's phone law misses the real issue

Why it matters: A new state law requires phones to be out of sight all day, but David Price, president of the Kansas City Federation of Teachers, says it won't solve the real problem: Students need help navigating tech, not just avoiding it.

• Gov. Mike Kehoe said the goal was distraction-free classrooms and improved school safety.

What they're saying: Price told Axios the law overlooks education around healthy tech use.

• "Students need to be taught empathy and social media literacy," he said, arguing that phones will be part of almost every job in the future. "Instead of banning, we should educate or else we are not effectively preparing our students for the future."

State of play: Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) opted not to collect phones or require locking pouches, instead instructing students to keep them put away.

• KCPS said the year started "very positive," with students adapting quickly.
• "Don't use your device during the school day. There are several exceptions … for the approved use of schoolwork, for medical reasons, or in case of an emergency," Shain Bergan, the district's spokesperson, told Axios.

Zoom out: KC isn't alone. Missouri's law has prompted districts across the state — from Springfield to St. Louis — to rethink how they handle phones, with some opting for locked pouches or collection bins.

Yes, and: Kansas City's debate mirrors a national push to crack down on phones in schools — a trend that began with Florida and Indiana, the first states to pass sweeping restrictions.

• Some schools have adopted locking pouches to enforce bans.

• In the Twin Cities, districts have already tightened cellphone limits as part of a growing focus on student well‑being and social interaction.
• In Columbus, districts have taken varied paths: Some enforce total stow-and-hide rules, while others allow phones during non-instructional times or leave disruption as a teacher's call.

Some parents told local outlets they worry about reaching kids in emergencies.

• "It does put some fear in me because of the problems that schools have sometimes with people coming in and trying to do harm," North Kansas City parent Nina Velazquez told KSHB.
• Price agreed, saying that families' biggest worry is not being able to contact kids in an emergency.

The bottom line: Missouri is just entering the national debate over phones in schools — and the tension between control and education is far from settled.