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pelinks4u EDITORIAL
 Recession
Proofing your Physical Education and Sports
Programs
You
can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you might find
You get what you need
- Rolling
Stones, 1968
This year, no one in physical education or
sports should assume themselves safe from
cuts. School budgets – typically set
a year in advance – have yet to feel
the full impact of the nation’s economic
woes, and there’s no certain timeline
for recovery. In the scramble for diminishing
resources, physical education and sports could
easily find themselves cut back, or even totally
eliminated in many schools. What, if anything,
can we do to prevent program reductions and
position cuts?
A first step is to recognize the urgency
of an action plan. In truth, most physical
educators and coaches are lousy program advocates.
Maybe we assume the benefits of what we do
are obvious? Maybe we are just too busy to
devote time to promoting ourselves? Maybe
we are too modest? Or maybe we just don’t
care? Whatever the reason, the complacency
has to stop. It’s simply foolish to
ignore the threats we face, hoping that by
themselves they will magically vanish.
If solutions were easy they’d already
be in place. The only certainty is that continuing
to do nothing to advocate for our programs
will contribute to their demise – and
for some of us our jobs. Having served many
years on a school board I’ve witnessed
both a lack of program advocacy, and also
the well-intentioned, but ineffective, efforts
of enthusiastic but naïve program promoters.
Some time ago, I described ways to better
work with school boards in a Strategies
article. Most people simply don’t understand
school board responsibilities. Time and again
speakers would come before us with suggestions
that to them made perfect sense and would
clearly benefit a select group of students.
More often than not – from a school
board member perspective, having responsibility
for all students – the proposal was
either unworkable or unaffordable. And that
was the end. The individual left disappointed,
frustrated, convinced the board didn’t
care about student welfare, and would never
return. Wrong response. The true failure was
the person’s lack of understanding about
the workings of school boards and how to effect
change.
Fiscal oversight is the first responsibility
of a school board. Running up a debt or running
out of money is the best way for board members
to lose public support. Today more than ever,
school districts are focused on working within
their financial means. They simply can’t
spend more than they have, regardless of consequences.
Understanding the school budgeting process
– and being present when it is developed
and discussed – is essential for anyone
trying to avoid cuts and willing to suggest
workable alternatives. All discussions on
school budgets have to take place in public.
By law, school boards can’t make these
kinds of financial decisions in closed sessions.
But you have to be present to develop this
understanding. This means reading the agenda,
regularly attending board meetings, and learning
when and how decisions are made. It’s
not a one-shot deal. Unfortunately, most people
fail to display the persistence it takes to
become influential. It’s no accident
that federal lobbyists reside in DC and communicate
frequently with public policymakers. Understanding
the political process and developing personal
relationships are vital advocacy skills.
The second school board responsibility is
academics. It is not student health. The nation
may be facing serious health challenges, but
school administrators and board members are
not going to lose their jobs or create a public
outcry through failing to address obesity.
Going into debt, or continually failing to
meet academic performance standards risks
jobs and motivates public criticism.
One of my board colleagues decried what he
perceived as a growing tendency for schools
to become public service agencies. He vehemently
argued a belief that parents were responsible
for their children’s health. My response
to this was simple: It wasn’t important
whether or not I agreed or disagreed. I pointed
out that if – as it appeared certain
– many parents failed to accept responsibility
for their children’s health, then our
academic mission was doomed to failure. Unhealthy
students who missed school would never achieve
their academic potential. No matter how hard
classroom teachers worked, it made little
difference to the performance of unhealthy
or absent students. Even worse, in the long
term the entire community would have to pay
the escalating social service bill for students
who failed to learn and become productive
citizens.
It’s not easy but we have to make a
strong case for the benefits that physical
education and sports bring to the academic
mission of our public schools. Evidence from
California and Texas studies shows a strong
relationship between fitness and academic
performance scores. Speakers connecting brain
development and movement are becoming more
prolific. We have to persuade school decision-makers
that our subject matter is not a frill, nor
a luxury to be discarded during tough economic
times.
But to do these things necessitates action
on our part. Too many in our profession have
been beaten down by a lack of respect to change
their passivity. To them it’s inevitable
that the administration won’t support
what they do because it never has. The “inconvenient
truth” however, is that in many instances
we’ve got what we deserve. False modesty
of the wonderful benefits of quality physical
education and sport programs has undermined
respect for our profession. It’s time
to change and essential that we do.
To protect yourself and your programs I urge
you to resolve to do more this academic year
to promote what you do, and develop closer
relationships with budgetary decision makers.
Publicize your programs, and hold at least
one event this year to generate parent understanding
and support. Invite school board members and
administrators to see what you are doing,
and help them to understand the way in which
you support academics. Many of them simply
don’t get it and only remember their
childhood experiences. Get good press coverage
because this reflects well on your administration
as well as your program. Rally district physical
educators and coaches to discuss challenges
and formulate an action plan to preserve your
programs. Be proactive because it’s
typically too late to act once cuts have been
announced.
As dull as they usually are – and they
are often exceedingly dull – take turns
to make sure that some of your staff attend
every school board meeting. Make an effort
to become acquainted with board members before
you want to ask for their support. Remember
that board members like to be appreciated,
so thank them often and treat them respectfully
regardless of their positions. Most board
members are simply doing their best for kids;
they have no personal agenda. The trick is
for you to show them how they can support
what you’d like them to do within the
resources they have available.
This time next year, let’s all resolve
to be able to look back, satisfied that we
did our best to minimize the effects of today’s
recession on our physical education and sport
programs.
Good luck.
Steve
Jefferies, Publisher
pelinks4u |
