From the Publisher…

Physical Inactivity is Dangerous to your Health…But Not Necessarily to School District Budgets!

I noticed the “physical inactivity” slogan on one of my many “PE” shirts while preparing for my daily noon-time work out. It reminded me that physical education classes are the only times the vast majority of American children get moderate to vigorous physical activity. Sadly, for most elementary aged youngsters it’s not daily, and doesn’t come close to meeting the 60-minute national physical activity guideline.

For PE professionals worsening childhood obesity isn’t a surprise. Eat too much and do too little, you gain weight. Today’s children have easy access to calorie dense food, and have little motivation or opportunity to be physically active. From the moment they wake up, on through to bedtime, a child’s typical school day is a sedentary experience. Most young kids are driven to and from school, stand around on too-small playgrounds chatting, then sit for the next 6 hours until they go to day care or return home, where they proceed to sit and consume unhealthy snacks. TV and computer time, and fast-food dinners complete the day.

The “Let’s Move” initiative recently proposed by First Lady Michelle Obama to solve children’s obesity within a generation is commendable. But solving obesity is going to take a lot more than publicity and programs. Because children spend most of their waking hours in our schools, school environments must be targeted for change. But succeeding here has to begin with a clear understanding of how American schools work. And from the outset one thing’s certain: Schools do not presently see themselves responsible for children’s health.

Oversight of US schools is through a Board of Directors. These five or seven publicly elected citizens share responsibility primarily for academics and finances. When kids score poorly or district budgets are in the red, Board members are criticized. In contrast, local citizens do not hold Board members accountable for unhealthy or obese students. Board members will point out that kids’ health is a parent responsibility. And in many instances Board members will oppose what they see as a trend toward schools becoming social service agencies.

In today’s worsening economic climate it’s easy to understand why school district administrators will propose cuts to physical education and health education programs. Typically, it’s not that they don’t like PE, or feel these programs are unimportant. It’s not that they don’t share concerns about declining health. It’s simply due to the fact that they are hired and fired based on academics and a balanced budget - not to try to solve children’s health issues. And to them, physical education is rarely perceived as integral to academic performance.

Based on my experience as a former school board member, if you or any colleagues are targeted for cuts, here’s what I suggest:

1. Remember that School Board members are elected citizens. They were elected to represent the community.
2. Board members do not like large numbers of people at Board meetings upset with what they are doing. They do not like bad publicity. They do not like to be unpopular.
3. Remember that Board members’ main interests are budgetary and academics. Your task is to motivate the Board to seek alternative routes to solving budgetary issues, while clearly showing the connection between physical education (healthy kids) and academics. The Board needs to be convinced that there is a large group of citizens who elected them who expect a different solution to the one proposed.
4. Either get on the School Board meeting agenda (you have to ask in advance), or pack the room with citizens prepared to speak at the time allocated for public input. Remember #2.
5. Get community members to drive the issue rather than PE teachers or outside “experts.” Unless information needs to have the credibility of an “expert,” Board members will be more impressed by locals, many of whom will be well known and respected. Get a local physician to talk about obesity and health. Have a local lawyer point out how cuts might risk breaking any state laws, the existence of federal (CDC) guidelines, and the “Fit, Healthy, and Ready to Learn” recommendation of the Board members own national association (NASBA). And have a few classroom teachers point out the relationship between academics and PE.
6. Although they may need some preparation, have parents speak about how much they value their kids being in your wonderful physical education program and you being an exemplary teacher. Let parents talk about the terrible loss cuts would mean to their kids’ education, and the potential that they would lose you as a teacher.
7. Physical Education teachers talking and offering facts and figures will not have the impact of a several informed, articulate, and passionate parents. Even better, have parents bring their kids to the Board meeting, and have one or two well-rehearsed kids say something about the impact PE has on their motivation to come to school and learn.
8. Be sure the media is aware of this issue, and make it clear that the losses proposed in physical education will not only affect kids’ health but also their academic performance.
9. Board members do not like repetition at meetings, so it’s good if your support group organizes itself to speak in a prearranged order to different aspects of the issue. Physical educators can help supply information.
10. Remember this is not a one-time event. You need to gather proponents who will write letters to the paper, call their Board members, and make it clear that reducing PE will negatively impact academics. If you only get the Board's attention at this one event you will lose. The Board will likely move on to new business unless it realizes that the PE issue is not going quietly away. You must be prepared to wage an ongoing campaign so that the Board understands it can’t focus on other issues until it satisfactorily resolves yours. In School Board politics it is rarely factual arguments that typically win the day. It’s the threat of ongoing community dissatisfaction and bad publicity that convinces Boards to tell their administrators to find another solution.

If along the way an administrator or Board member asks you why so many people are putting so much effort into this cause the answer is easy – “for kids.” Finally, despite the likelihood of intense emotion, it’s vital for everyone to do all of the above without personal animosity. Board members are your neighbors and school administrators are your colleagues. Be respectful and remember that in different and sometimes conflicting ways, everyone is trying to do what’s best for kids.

This month in pelinks4u…

It’s estimated that up to 5% of the students in our schools experience Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Not only does this impact their learning but it often disrupts the learning of others. Commonly treated through a variety of different drugs, pelinks4u author Amy Driebe informs us that well planned exercise strategies offer alternative solutions. Amy provides tips for effective exercise interventions.

Among the many claims we often make for physical education is that it teaches sportsmanship. The value of sportsmanship in a world regularly beset by examples of unethical behavior is worth supporting. However, it’s questionable whether simply playing games and sports in PE is enough. Sportsmanship likely develops through purposeful practice. Tom Winiecki this month suggests that sportsmanship is the “unit” that can be taught yearlong in PE.

Physical Education or Physical Activity? As author Clive Hickson notes, motivated primarily by health care concerns associated with rising obesity, there’s a movement to increase physical activity in schools. But how will this effect physical education? Clive explores ways in which physical educators can design their programs to support the goal of getting children prepared and motivated to lead healthy and active lifestyles.

Don Peterson, Lynn Glover-Stanley, Patrick Wempe, and Carrie Barber write this month on returning the joy of learning into physical education. They suggest that much of what has been done recently in education has focused on extrinsic motivation. In regard to getting people to regularly exercise, they suggest that PE can play a vital role by getting youngsters to enjoy being physically active in contrast to feeling a compulsion for reasons other than the pleasure it brings.

Coury Knowles shares a study he recently completed examining the trends towards compliance with Title IX in Florida high school sports over the past two decades. Title IX legislation passed in 1972 was of course designed to promote equity in sports. Before then opportunities for girls and women in sports were severely limited. Sadly, Coury discovered that gender inequities still remain. We include a summary of Coury’s study and a link to the complete document. Great source for anyone interested in Title IX.

This article, written by Dennis Docheff, "provides an opportunity for readers to create a coaching assessment instrument that can be used by athletic directors and coaches. ADs can use the instrument to evaluate coaches, while coaches can use it for the purpose of self-evaluation. Although this article creates a new instrument that can be implemented in various coaching situations, it hopefully serves as a springboard to future thoughts on the topic of coaching evaluation."

Best Regard,

Steve Jefferies, Publisher
pelinks4u

2010 P.A.C.E. TREK, GERMANY