From the Sun Sentinel.com
By Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel
To keep students from getting fat, some South Florida elementary schools are making them watch fitness videos every morning. But they aren't required to do the exercises.
At other schools, recess is considered physical education, even though it can be led by teachers with no P.E. background and kids don't have to participate in the games.
And in some classrooms, teachers spend designated P.E. time preparing kids for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
A state law passed in 2007 as a way to combat childhood obesity requires elementary schools to provide 30 minutes of P.E. instruction every day. But schools in Broward and Palm Beach counties only offer traditional gym classes once or twice a week. And in Broward, 31 schools have no P.E. teacher at all, due to budget cuts.
So while schools say they have had to get creative, parents and some teachers say in many cases it means the kids don't get the required activity. Especially since there's no penalty if they fail to comply.
"There is no accountability. It's like an honor system," said Judy Kemp, a P.E. teacher at Oakridge Elementary in Hollywood. "I'd say about half of my teachers comply with the others saying they can't fit it into their lesson plans."
Banyan Creek Elementary School in Delray Beach offers P.E. once every three days. Principal Bill Fay said it's a struggle to fit it in on the other days, because teachers face pressure for students to score well on the FCAT.
"Honestly, there are not enough hours in the day," he said. "I prioritize the academic programs first, then I fit in everything else. There is no FCAT test for P.E."
The law, signed by former Gov. Charlie Crist in 2007, initially required elementary schools to provide 150 minutes of P.E. per week. But some schools tried to get around it by counting three-minute walks to the cafeteria or classroom toward the total. The next year, the Legislature changed the requirement to 30 minutes of continuous physical activity each day.
Most schools say they are meeting the requirement, according to data provided to the state. But what they count as continuous activity — including recess time — has raised concerns among parents.
"I think of recess as time when you basically run around and have fun," said Alshine Mondesir, PTA president at Nova Eisenhower Elementary School in Davie. "A lot of kids may go off and walk and sit down. It should be organized."
Nova Eisenhower lost its P.E. teacher this year, shifting the responsibility to regular classroom teachers. Mondesir's son, Alshine II, a first-grader, said he doesn't get as much P.E. as he did last year, so the father tries to make up for it by playing basketball or soccer with him after school.
The PTA is also applying for a grant from the National Football League, which would be used for equipment and training for volunteers, Mondesir said.
In Palm Beach County, many schools use a 30-minute video called "Adventures to Fitness" as a way to comply with the law. Physical education planner Eric Stern said he also trains classroom teachers how to incorporate fitness activities into the school day.
"One of the examples is we have a playground packet, where kids can hop and jump and learn vocabulary words," he said. "We're very creative with the mandate, which wasn't funded."
Stern said his job is to provide resources, but it is up to the schools to ensure they meet the mandate.
At Nob Hill Elementary in Sunrise, regular classroom teachers handle the half-hour P.E. instruction once a week. The other days, they're supposed to take students out for recess.
But Roseanne Eckert said teachers have been inconsistent. She complained in 2010 that a teacher focused so heavily on academics that her son, Jared, now 12 and in middle school, wasn't getting the required 150 minutes of physical activity.
"I met with the principal and teachers, and they all explained to me how they have so many requirements that they cannot make sure the kids get exercise," she said. "They have a policy, but they're not enforcing it."
Nob Hill Principal Patricia Patterson said that was an isolated case and most teachers welcome the opportunity to take their students out for recess.
"Am I the P.E. police? No," she said. "They're professionals, and I trust that they're following the standards and implementing organized games."
At Oakland Park Elementary School, students exercise with videos for 15 minutes a day in the morning and have a 15-40 minute recess later in the day. "It seems to be working," Principal Joanne Krisel said. "Obviously, it would be better if we had a P.E. teacher."
stravis@tribune.com or 561-243-6637 or 954-425-1421
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/education/highered/fl-school-physical-education-20110901,0,4631200.story
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