Mike Morath made the recommendation as concerns rise that phones are harmful to students’ mental health and distract them from learning.

Some Texas school districts now limit or outright ban students from using their cellphones in class, and there's momentum to make that policy apply for the nearly 6 million children in public schools.

The top education official in Texas says cell phones don’t belong in the classroom. He cited research showing phones in the classroom are a distraction for students.