TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas State Board of Education has asked Dr. Randy Watson, Kansas Education Commissioner, to form a blue ribbon task force charged with creating guidance for addressing the non-academic use of phones in pre-K-12 classrooms in Kansas. “It’s going to take a concerted effort to address the amount of time our children spend on their own devices during instructional time,” said Melanie Haas, chair of the Kansas State Board of Education. “We as parents and elected officials need to help our children use technology and social media in safer, more beneficial ways.” Watson said in addition to at least two state school board members, the 30-member task force will be comprised of students, classroom teachers, administrators, and other education representatives.