Ten years ago, I introduced legislation in Illinois prohibiting students from using cellular phones during the school day. This legislation was enacted, and the current state law forbids a child to be in possession of a cellular phone at school. At that time, I felt very strongly that it was the appropriate step to take. Cellular phones were expensive, and not many families had them. I feared that cell phones would help drug dealers conduct their business in or near schools during the school day.

Times have drastically changed. Cell phones are relatively inexpensive and owned by the majority of Illinois families. Many families are busier than ever and have multiple cellular phones. What was once a tool for drug dealers and gang members is now a critical link of communication among family members. The current law, as it applies to cellular phones in schools, no longer addresses the needs and concerns of families with school-age children. A measure I introduced in the 2001 spring session would remove the mandate we passed 10 years ago and give control back to local school districts, allowing them to determine what is appropriate use of cell phones by their students. It has passed the state House of Representatives and is currently awaiting action in the Senate.

I have ultimately come to the conclusion that allowing students to carry cellular phones in schools would be beneficial to both parents and students. Of course, cellular phones should not interfere with a student's class sessions. When students are in school, they should turn the phone ringers off and set the phones to receive voice mail only. This would minimize disruptions while allowing a parent, should the need arise, to contact his or her child via the voice mail function.

Parents could fill children in on important changes--a delayed student pick-up at the end of the school day or a change of time for a doctor's appointment--without disturbing the school's administrative office. Students could let parents know when an after-school rehearsal or practice is expected to end.

Students also could use their cellular phones to notify authorities of an emergency at school when regular school phones are not immediately available or are unsafe to use. This was the case in the tragic Columbine shootings a few years ago. I shall never forget one of the students stating, "I am glad I had my cell phone because I was able to tell the police where the shooter was."

Thus, not only have cell phones proved to be an asset in daily communications between children and their parents during the school day, but cell phones also have proved to be an invaluable tool during tragic times of crises at schools. Used wisely, cellular phones can be an asset to school life.

In every classroom, there are moments of pure joy for teachers. These cherished gems are those magical teaching moments that occur when the timing is just right: when all of the students are listening, responding and totally engrossed in their discovery of something new and relevant to their lives. These moments take nurturing and patience. And when they do occur, teachers pounce with the glee of a World Wrestling Federation wannabe. Unfortunately, those all-too-infrequent moments could be jeopardized now that several states are considering legislation that would allow students to carry cell phones and pagers into our classrooms.

These proposals seem to ignore the telephone habits of a large segment of the American public. Telephone etiquette, as practiced in this nation, demands that the living, breathing person in the room is secondary to the guy on the line. (Remember the tourist in the cathedral, drawing glares from those around him and obviously talking long distance because he's shouting, "You'll never guess where I am! Go ahead...Guess!") Is this the mindset that encourages students to do their best in the classroom? Not likely.

These proposals also aim to fix something that isn't broken. Every school in the nation has a telephone that is answered by a polite, woefully underpaid and unappreciated staff person who will professionally respond to all emergency and not-so-life-threatening messages from concerned parents and guardians of our students. And all of the messages are delivered. All of my students have the right to make emergency phone calls from the office telephone, and there is a pay phone available for other calls on their time and dime.

If our schools are to perform their mission in this chaotic world, they must be the safest, cleanest, sanest and at times the most insulated places our students experience in their young lives. If we allow students to carry pagers and cell phones, we open the sanctity of our rooms not just to potential dope dealers but also to dropout boyfriends, bored stay-at-home girlfriends, radio call-in shows and aluminum siding salesmen--you name it. Are we so into immediate connectivity that we must have constant "24-7" access to our own children?

What this all boils down to is a modest request from me--and from many other educators like me--to parents and guardians: Will you let me borrow your children for 55 minutes in which they can be "all mine"? Will you allow me the opportunity to create a place where students and teacher can put aside all that went before, ignore all that will come, to focus on and revel in the here and now when the bell rings? Will you parents allow me to.... Oh! Hold just a sec... that's my cell.