Physical Education and Our Schools
Posted on Apr 23, 2011 08:03:34 PM
This could very well turn into a rant, but I’ll do my best to keep my tongue in check. I spoke up at Mom Congress during the session regarding Physical Education and Recess. And, if you know me, this looms big for more reasons than one in my mind. Quickly, my thoughts are this:
- if my kids only get 30 minutes of activity during the hours they are at school, then don’t send work home with them, if you want to trade off some of that, then we’ll talk, for now, no homework is our general rule, I hate it
- if my kids are going to have a pep rally to get ready for a standardized test (mine don’t that I know of but I know some do), then don’t be getting all critical on the athletic teams for trying to pull in some school spirit and community love (my 25th class reunion is this summer and I doubt I even go…no community, nothing to hang on to)
- if my kids have to spend part of their 30 minutes changing shoes and getting water, then possibly we need to seriously consider a longer length of time dedicated to physical activity
- if you’ve read anything I’ve ever written, you know I am not a fan of the old school “recess”, change the name, Myrdin (by the way, my newest internet crush rests on her shoulders and that of Jennifer DeFranco, because really, they just rock…just sayin’) suggested “playtorium” but in doing so, we must keep an educated professional with the kids, don’t let someone trained to teach reading teach my kid physical education any quicker than you would do this the other way around
So, with that said, I understand that I am fairly fortunate in that Alabama still mandates physical education of 30 minutes a day, five days a week through the elementary grades. Honestly, those folks that have kids in school getting 30 minutes 2 or three times a week? Seriously? How do you wrangle the lovies when they finally arrive home?
Here is the problem that I see though. If we are going to advocate for better physical education, longer physical education, educated professionals in physical education and in some cases, a physical education all together, we must be able to show that the quality of education they are getting is superior to that of students who don’t have that time to decompress. Sitting in a desk hour upon hour is not something even I can do as an adult, yet we expect our kids to do.
Most states require some form of physical education. Eighty-four percent of states require PE for elementary students, up from 70 percent in 2006. That trend continues in higher grades as well: Seventy-six percent of states require it for middle and junior high, up from 65 percent, and 90 percent in high school, up from 83 percent.
Many of those states have gaps when the activity isn’t required, however, and only five states require PE consistently from K-12. CBSNews
Naturally, by indicating that we need to be able to prove that the education they receive is superior in some what is where the problem lies. How do we measure that? Do we advocate for more physical activity on a regular basis by showing that test scores are better? Ugh! I hope not. Do we try to show that our kids are more fit and thus even if the quality of education isn’t any better, the students are healthier and thus tend to lead more productive lifestyles as adults? How do we actually measure all of this? BMI on their report card? Even more ugh from me on that one.
Here, I ask you, my fellow Mom Congress delegates and physical education supporters…and education supporters in general….if Alabama still requires this physical education and it is directly related to the production of the students and eventually the adults, why is it that we don’t rank number on on the education food chain? Why aren’t we the lowest state in unemployment? Why aren’t we listed as one of the healthiest states?
Moreover, with a unemployment rate of 9% which is barely above the national level, does that mean anything at all in terms of lifestyles, life expectancy, health? None of this seems to correlate really. I’m sure there’s some serious research out there somewhere and I’m making it my business to start now and find it. Feel free to chime in and help me.
How do we make all this work together? Suggestions please…