Over 100 school districts in California were sued by attorney Donald Driscoll and children's rights advocates Cal200 for not providing students with the required amount of time in PE under California law. The advantages of PE are well-known and well-documented. Physical activity can improve mental and physical health as well as have a positive effect on academic performance. Yet, with restricted recess and PE budget cuts, why does physical activity at schools always seem to be on the chopping block?
In a 2014 article for the LA Times, Donald Driscoll points out that "School districts have routinely ignoring the law... They give lip service to the idea that P.E. is important. That just plain doesn’t work. What that produces is kids who don’t get enough exercise.” California Education Codes, as well as other states like Texas, have requirements that elementary schools provide "at least 200 minutes of P.E. classes for every 10 school days." Sadly, according to a 2004-2006 study, only half of sampled school districts were able to meet this PE requirement. To make matters worse, a 2008 report showed that these requirements, if enforced, lacked any significant consequence for those schools that failed to meet them.
About 10 years ago, the first round of lawsuits led to 37 school districts reaching a settlement deal. The settlement made it mandatory for teachers to "track and publish the amount of time spent on P.E., with oversight from school principals and school boards" (Bill of Health). This ended up being very successful.
Unfortunately in 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has only increased the difficulties in providing students with adequate PE. Then, PE instructors have to face the new challenge of teaching PE virtually. Even as schools later reopened, teachers were again faced with the familiar problem of their PE programs being cutback.
It's Time to Put the "E" back in PE
With these cutbacks, time in PE has been given to classroom teachers or PE teachers are being saddled with exorbitantly large classes. In recent years, this has meant that students are losing out, not on physical activity time, but on proper instruction in physical education.
The foundation of PE is BOTH activity and instruction. Here at Heart Zones, we believe physical education is more than "just games." Students should be taught the building blocks of exercise and movement. Learning the why and the how helps students see the value of physical education, a discipline which prepares them for life. Let's give PE the respect it deserves by putting the "E" back in PE!