New Delhi, Feb. 12 -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed a new law to ban smartphones from public school classrooms starting this fall, making good on a pledge to keep the devices out of instructional time.

"We know that phones impede a student's ability to learn," Whitmer told a crowd of reporters, students and educators on Tuesday ahead of a bill signing at Waverly High School.

"They are by far the most disruptive distraction in our classrooms . designed to keep you scrolling, and teachers struggling to keep the class engaged while competing against social media."

Under the new law, students will still be able to have phones with them at school, but smartphones won't be allowed during instructional time. Students could carry basic phon...