Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense back in the 18th century. It made a brilliant case for revolution and if for a brief moment, personified common sense. As time has gone on, common sense has been fading like the gene pool in the Bush family. Today's tale brings us to the lonestar state where our state legislature has become educational experts in much the same way as that new vibrating ab cruncher gets us in shape: they were sitting on their backside on the couch eating bon bons.
To set up this story right I have to go back in time about three years. The legislature establishing something called Fitness Gram for elementary, intemediate, and high schools to go through. Fitness Gram was designed to be a lot like the first round of steroids testing in baseball. There was no pass or fail. It was meant to gather information to see how in shape or out of shape our students were.
After three years, the results are in. Students went through a variety of tests to measure strength, stamina, and aerobic health. I'm ashamed to say this, but my own volleyball team did not meet the targets the test laid out for good health. In parlance, that meant that if our athletes failed then regular students barely registered on the scale. Not to put things lightly, but they did register a great deal on the scales most of us have in our homes. Our kids were out of shape and overweight.
So, with this knowledge as a backdrop, you will join me in my surprise to hear that the state legislature has mandated that health and PE are no longer required for high school students at the state level. The state of Texas requires 24 credits. It used to require 1.5 for PE and 0.5 for health. The reasoning behind is simple. Two years ago, the state mandated that students be required to take 4 credits of math and science. The state required three before that. Take two credits from PE/health and give it to math and science. On the surface, this makes a lot of sense.
However, I can't get past the fitness gram results. Why was the whole thing commissioned (spending millions in tax payer dollars) if the results were going to be ignored? This is where common sense comes into play. The brutal irony is that most of us are lazier than we should about our physical fitness, so our legislators are lazy about guaranteeing students get at least some excercise during the school day. Go by most high schools during regular PE and you won't see a lot of physical fitness going on. PE is a dumping ground for counselors that can't find enough desks for an academic class. PE teachers are almost always coaches for athletic teams, so PE is a good dumping ground for someone that can't teach, but can coach.
When you get right down to it, cutting PE would make my job (counselor) a whole lot easier. Yes, we do get the benefit of better math and science scores as well. However, what good is it to know advanced biology and anatomy when you are unhealthy and out of shape? So, our kids will be able to describe in alarming detail what is happening to them when they have a heart attack at 30. Is this really what is best for our kids? If we walked into an English class and noticed students were not learning how to read and write, would we simply cancel English?
Instead of canceling what should be done because it is not done right, we should do what educators always do. You look around for a program that works and replicate it. Maybe we should have more PE classes and smaller class sizes. Maybe we should offer specialized PE classes like dance, weight lifting, running, tennis, or volleyball. Maybe we should actually try to introduce kids to fitness that is fun so maybe they will want to do this for the rest of their lives. My wife and I joined a running club six years ago because we wanted to cross "run in a marathon" off our bucket list. Six years later we have both run in nearly ten marathons or half marathons and we are still going strong. Of course, I had to run when I was in PE.
Fitness is a choice. I know full and well that most kids will choose their Nintendo DS over exercise. This is not a condemnation of anyone. Life is hard and some of us were dealt a bad hand in the health department. That doesn't mean we should give up on teaching it to our children. Let's allow them to make an informed decision. Denying them the choice is not the answer to our ills.
We have such a store across the street from our campus. It does have fresh meat inside with some grocery options. I saw a woman buying two 42 ounce "containers" of Miller High Life. It made me wonder how anyone could drink that much skunky beer.
my youngest is a senior this year and i'll be so very happy to be shed of public school systems! the most practical thing i could think of for our school children, preK-12 would be to incorporate the wi-fit system in each and every classroom, actually one system for each 6 students in class. my kids and i pooled our resources and bought this for christmas and i am hooked! i've seen seniors in rec centers holding wi-fit tournaments, even people who participate only from a chair! the system calculates BMI and weight, charted and graphed daily, weekly, & monthly. there's a variety of activities ranging from walking, stepping and yoga relaxation techniques - from beginner positions to candle gazing for concentration and focus. the balance games are challenging and increase in difficulty and skill, there are add-ons for improved nutrition as well as encouragement. we've even created a profile for our two cats, to watch their weight and make it more fun! PE classes conducted outside while our children breath in toxic fumes, devoid of nutrition and/or a emotional health component is a worthless proposition. we need a total new engine, because even a complete "overhaul" in the case of our children's fitness would be a lost cause. until health care becomes an essential element, structured into the american curriculum, we will continue to produce obese children who grown into obese adults. couch potatoes and driving around the block instead of walking would help. personal responsibility is the key, incentivizing someone to do anything just like forcing someone to do anything because YOU want them to never brings success, at least long term success. children must learn that food is fuel and nourishment, not convenience and pleasure. the other problem is getting fresh fruits and vegatables to areas which maintain corner stores with 40oz beer and cigarettes, twinkies and chips. this should be a concern for every american citizen.
While professional athletes are on TV almost every day talking about the urgent need for every kid to get 60 minutes of exercise every day. And Doctors show up on TV News show talking about how our kids are becoming obese as a matter of course not chance. Now our overweight, underthinking politicians, here in the land of the super sized meals and the all you can eat buffet are going in the exact opposite direction.
Thank goodness our Grandkids were brought up to participate in sports and to watch their diet, The girls played basketball, volleyball in middle school, HS and club. Our Grandson was a goal tender and forward in middle school and was the starting Goaltender for CC Carroll HS for 4 years. They all considered vegetables the best snack and water the best drink. Although, Laura had a thing for garlic mashed potatoes.
Let’s not forget the optional ice cream, chips, and other assorted goodies that stare our kids down as they walk through the lunch line. I’m not talking about high school. These are the choices my elementary school children are faced with every day. I’m all for taking responsibility as a parent but I also understand how tough it must be for my 2nd grader to enter the lunch line and be immediately confronted by an icy tub full of Dixie Cups and a rack of fried corn chips. There is a process in place that is supposed to allow parents to limit the amount of extras their child buys but it doesn’t really work. I think the cashier lady is supposed to remember the limitations of all 500 kids or some such.
This is really upsetting but, sadly, seems par for the course when talking about education in Texas.
Certainly a good way to get rid of those teachers!
And the question should be asked again, why was all that money spent on a study that was ignored?
That thought had occurred to me, but that is a whole other blog. I wouldn't be surprised if our legislators cut health in part to eliminate that debate. My sister is a coach and health teacher in San Antonio. When she taught here she taught in the district known as the "abstinence district". I would call them out by name and I might want to work there someday. In San Antonio, they are doing a hybrid health/PE class that everyone will have to take. Local districts will have to find a way to work it in. Meanwhile, I would guess that over 1000 teachers will be out of work.
More often than not, I'll see something in your posts I disagree with. Not this one. I agree whole heartedly. Something else that irks me is the schools that either do away with or restrict recess in the lower grades.
This is infuriating.
First of all, exercising each day helps your brain work better and helps your heart move blood and oxygen through your body more efficiently, leaving you in prime condition to make better grades.
Second of all, in a state where fried shrimp poppers, corn, pizza, and nachos are daily fare on the lunch menus in elementary school, that we wouldn't educate them about health OR fitness after feeding this crap to them is disgusting.
Third, I was educated in CFISD, and that .5 health credit was the only time we had any type of sex ed in my high school career. There goes the teen pregnancy rate even higher.
Idiots.