Physical Education Legislation - A Positive Step

The 'Fitness Integrated with Teaching Act' or FIT Kids Act has been approved by the US House on April 21, 2010 and is heading to the Senate for approval. However, this legislation has met some opposition and the fear is that it could get bogged down due to the measure's new reporting requirements.

The legislation would impose a new set of reporting requirements on virtually all school districts to make it easier for members of the public to learn what physical activities and education schools offer. The argument is that these reporting requirements would burden local schools already struggling to meet a vast array of federal mandates.

Like so many initiatives, this bill does not provide federal aid for districts to spend on PE but does call for an unspecified amount of funding for the National Research Council to examine and make recommendations on 'innovative and effective ways to increase physical activity'. As if we need yet another study to confirm findings of hundreds of other studies over the past 10 years.

Boo-hoo to both groups for opposing accountability to finally make PE part of a level playing field (pardon the pun) and legislators for proposing a toothless initiative where the money is not where the mouth is. It sounds like a lot of 'feel-good' language to counter a growing concern about childhood obesity in the USA.

The upside is that physical education is on the front burner of legislators and critical issues are being addressed to imform parents and the public on:
- The amount of time students are required to spend in PE by grade level compared to national recommendations;
- Whether schools follow an age-appropriate PE curriculum;
- How schools promote 'healthy lifestyles' including school programs and policies on nutrition and physical activity as it relates to Title I recipients.

Data collection costs money and so does good programs. Perhaps research appropriation should go to data collection which will identify good practices and thus provide direction on proper spending or equipment and curriculum.
Michael Cordier

Washington DC Takes the Lead

Washington DC is not a principality but the smallest state in the nation. It could be the most important piece of real estate in the USA, serving as the capital and power bastion. Washington District of Columbia does not house many folks due to cost and size, but saw development of many housing projects during the previous century which today accommodate 71,000 school students. Sadly, it boasts one of the highest obesity rates  in the country. 43% of students enrolled in the school district is overweight or obese.

Finally the 13-member  DC Council proposed legislation to increase physical education and clamp down on fast foods served in the schools. There is a political angle to this change of heart: Michell Obama's initiative on healthier foods in schools is sited as inspiration.

The Washing Post reports that, "The bill would ban trans fats and limit sodium and saturated fats. City public and charter schools would have to meet the federal "gold standard" for lunches, which requires that a different fruit and vegetable be served every day and that only low-fat or non-fat milk and whole grains be offered.The estimated cost is $23 million over four years. The measure would establish mandatory guidelines on caloric intake at breakfast and lunch, effectively forcing smaller and healthier portions. In elementary schools, breakfasts would have a required range of 350 to 550 calories, and lunches would have a range of 450 to 600 calories. In high schools, the required range would be 450 to 600 calories for breakfast and 750 to 850 calories for lunch".

The bill also put much greater emphasis on physical education in city schools. Elementary students, for instance, receive an average of 45 minutes of physical education a week. The bill would increase the requirement to 150 minutes starting in 2014. In middle school, where students now have physical education for one trimester, they would attend gym class throughout the school year for at least 225 minutes a week. 

This is not a lot of money given the size and impact of a very good program but is still unfunded in a struggling economy. Proposals are on the table to levy a tax on soda sales in the state - which has soda distributors and manufacturers up in arms! If approved, it is a giant leap in the right direction!
Michael Cordier

Play, Play, Play

Here is a story that 'warms the cockles'. The Arizona Daily Start reports on a preschool program that was started in 1948, is owned and managed by parents, and became fully integrated three years before it became state law in 1954. The Tuscon Community School hosts about 80 children from ages 3 to 6. All learning takes place through PLAY. It was the mission back in 1948 and it is still the mission.

"Children should be able to try things out. Play is how you learn things," says school Director Mary Sue Houser, a proud alum of the school herself back in the late 1960s. Parents can't just simply 'drop off' their kids and drive into the sunrise every morning. It is expected that each parent puts in 12 to 18 days a year on site! "Involved" is the operative word in this unique school.

Activities are split between inside and outside, with inside learning also revolving around play. There are pianos to bang on and art projects to tackle - but NO coloring between the lines. Annual fees range from around $1,500 to $3,300, depending on age and number of days attended. Scholarships are available, and the school holds regular fundraisers.

Reporter Bonnie Henry comments that, yes, kids will still be kids. When they get too rambunctious, they're given 'good work to do'. "We give them hammer and nails and something to work on", says the principal.

Now that sounds like kids being kids.
Michael Cordier