State's PE crisis hanging heavy over politicians

Southpaw · February 13th, 2007, 03:54 AM

This article is about Florida. Is your state having a similar experience?

Quote:

State's PE crisis hanging heavy over politicians
Published February 13, 2007

Gov. Charlie Crist recently unveiled his first budget. The good news is it pays lip service to a crisis that could sink the entire state.

The bad news is that's all it does.

We're not talking about global warming. We're talking about the global expansion of children.

Recent studies show the average third-grader needs a crowbar to fit behind a desk. In response, Florida has cut back physical education requirements so far that Elvis could get an A in PE.

This doesn't bode well for Florida sports. If Bob Hayes had come along today, he would be Al Roker before he got to middle school.

We hate to see future Olympians turn into gastric bypass patients, but that's nothing compared to what else we're going to get with society's flood of burgers and fries.

The number of overweight adolescents in the U.S. has tripled since 1980. The World Health Organization projects that one-third of America's kids are either obese or likely to get there. If the thought of an entire generation catching Type 2 diabetes doesn't bother you, the prospect of paying for its health care certainly should.

Crist has proposed elementary school students have 30 minutes a day of physical activity. That doesn't seem like much until you consider the current requirement:

Nada. Zilch. Zippo.

Actually, that's not completely accurate. Florida is one of 17 states that does not mandate PE classes in elementary school.

Each county is required to have a PE policy. Some are good and others are jokes, said Kathy Dowd, executive director of the Florida Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance and Sport.

"His heart is in the right place," she said of Crist.

His wallet is not. There's no plan to increase PE funding. One suggestion is for teachers to have their classes do jumping jacks three times a day.

That's better than nothing, but not by much if you ask any PE professional. It would be like interrupting PE class to do quickie math drills.

Teaching kids how to throw properly, hop and swing at things greatly increases the chance they'll enjoy games, which increases the chance they'll get used to exercising, which increases the chance they won't end up in the doctor's office at age 35 being told they need triple-bypass surgery.

It seems so obvious, which is probably why the politicians are not doing anything. The Florida Legislature actually did something last year. In response to the obesity epidemic, it cut the PE requirement.

Now students need only one credit to graduate from high school, down from the previous 1.5. The reasoning was that PE and life-management courses take away from the real reason schools exist, which is to teach kids how to memorize FCAT questions.

"The FCAT is driving the bus these days," Dowd said.

Nobody's saying reading, writing and 'rithmetic aren't vital. But what good is a well-trained mind when the body is a perpetual wreck?

And yes, parents are to blame when Little Johnny weighs more than a Hyundai. But since a lot of them won't do anything, schools have to try.

Crist at least recognizes there's a problem, which is more than can be said for the legislature. But a few jumping jacks aren't going to solve anything. It will take hiring qualified PE teachers, altering priorities, spending education money more wisely.

If the politicians think it's not worth the trouble, they need to visit an elementary school and see the truth.

If we don't pay now, we're really going to pay later.

David Whitley can be reached at dwhitley@orlandosentinel.com.

Mulli · February 13th, 2007, 06:31 AM

How about the parents worrying about the health of their kids, and the schools worrying about the grades kids get in math, science, and english instead of the grades for P.E.?

Grades for P.E?

Southpaw · February 13th, 2007, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mulli

How about the parents worrying about the health of their kids, and the schools worrying about the grades kids get in math, science, and english instead of the grades for P.E.?

Grades for P.E?

Ouch. Ban the X boxes and Playstations. These are the same parents who think John Madden 2007 Football is exercise and participatory sports. These are the parents who wean their children from Mother's Milk with Mountain Dew. Call me old school, but I grew up on school playgrounds and facilities. It was an integral part of the schooling process. If the only answer is organized sports off/outside school premises, woe be us. It was a needed mid school day distraction and a good time for most of us. The only ones who rejected it were the fat asses. Well. 90 % of the kids are fat asses. PE and sports were good to me.

Mulli · February 13th, 2007, 06:52 AM

Great, now liberals will ban Mountain Dew and video games.

Southpaw · February 13th, 2007, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mulli

Great, now liberals will ban Mountain Dew and video games.

It will contribute to a society of robust warriors.

Linderbee · February 13th, 2007, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mulli

How about the parents worrying about the health of their kids, and the schools worrying about the grades kids get in math, science, and english instead of the grades for P.E.?

Grades for P.E?

I'd be willing to bet that students perform better in academics when there is physical education thrown in the day. School, imho, is not just for educating the mind...hence the name physical education.

Mulli · February 13th, 2007, 07:08 AM

Throwing out a bunch of cones and a soccer ball and saying play soccer until class is over.

Throwing out a bunch of cones and a football and saying play football until class is over.

Throwing out a bunch of cones and saying start running until class is over.

Education?
Ugh.

Southpaw · February 13th, 2007, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mulli

Throwing out a bunch of cones and a soccer ball and saying play soccer until class is over.

Throwing out a bunch of cones and a football and saying play football until class is over.

Throwing out a bunch of cones and saying start running until class is over.

Education?
Ugh.

I'll bet you are a bit younger than me. Sounds like it got progressively worse since I was there. My experiences were a helluva lot better than those. We, literally got " educated" on different sports. My schools had fields, pools, gyms and every facility imaginable. As the seasons changed, so did our activity. The PE instructors were actually legitimate. Sure their were a few jerk off PE teachers, but generally speaking, it was great. Now my sad ass state of Florida has decided it is a frill. That sucks.

82CardsGrad · February 13th, 2007, 07:22 AM

PE - in whatever form - should always remain a staple of our education system. If only for 1/2 hour... For all the wrong reasons (many of which I truly can not comprehend), schools are cutting back if not entirely eliminating PE from the system...
Now, I don't believe for one second, that PE in school will help make our kids less chubby. The problem with kids getting fatter - as is true with virtually all kid issues - stems from an erosion of family, and a disintegration of involved, engaged parenting. It disgusts me to see so many parents essentially outsource the parenting of their kids...
So, one has nothing to do with the other as there are two entirely separate issues. PE in school is needed for a host of very valid reason. One of which is NOT because it will help reduce child obecity. Child obecity on the other hand will only be resolved once parents and families are willing to re-engage - a much bigger problem for sure...

Southpaw · February 13th, 2007, 07:28 AM

It is an easy formula. Calorie intake + level of physical activity = body weight. Exposure to enjoyable physical exercise activity should lead to a healthier lifestyle. Can't hurt. Fat unhealthy parents make fat unhealthy kids. Maybe the erosion of PE in schools has contributed to an aversion to physical activity.

82CardsGrad · February 13th, 2007, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallyburger

It is an easy formula. Calorie intake + level of physical activity = body weight. Exposure to enjoyable physical exercise activity should lead to a healthier lifestyle. Can't hurt. Fat unhealthy parents make fat unhealthy kids. Maybe the erosion of PE in schools has contributed to an aversion to physical activity.

Could be...but probably just one more factor in a long list of items that have all contributed to parents becoming less engaged. It's much bigger than no PE at school... But I agree that school PE is a good thing and should NEVER be removed...