Physical education teachers in elementary schools are supporting a new statewide bill which would require Maryland school districts to provide 150 minutes a week for elementary schoolers to exercise. The 150 minutes would be split up into 60 minutes of recess and 90 minutes of physical education class.
Multiple studies and organizations, such as The Society of Health and Physical Educators, recommend that elementary school children receive at least 150 minutes of PE every week.
Shannon Spencer, a physical education teacher at Newport Mill Middle School in Kensington, headed to Annapolis to lobby for the bill. “We get them after elementary school. We would love to get them in better shape,” he said.
Montgomery County is the only jurisdiction in Maryland that provides less than 40 minutes of physical education for elementary schoolers per week. The county ranks near the bottom in the state in terms of providing physical education time for elementary-age students.
The bill has faltered for many years due to opposition from school districts, including Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). In order to meet the bill’s requirements, it is estimated that MCPS would have to add 133 physical education teachers, which would increase annual spending around $11.5 million. If the bill is approved, it would take effect October 1st of next year, but school systems could request for extensions up to July 21, 2021.
Proponents of the bill say the lack of exercise for elementary schoolers is a statewide health issue and contributes to the widespread childhood obesity in the United States.
MCPS is submitting a testimony against the bill, arguing that the bill’s requirements would create a huge financial burden on individual schools and challenges in scheduling.
“Scheduling increased time for physical education into the instructional day is difficult during a period of financial constraints and the decision should be left up to local jurisdictions,” MCPS legislative aide Patricia Swanson, who wrote the testimony, said. “Currently, the issue of increasing student’s physical activity during the school day is being addressed in Montgomery County Public Schools through newly developed elementary physical education curriculum and the opportunity for physical activity during recess.”
Swanson also stated how MCPS elementary schools are advised to provide a maximum 50 minutes of PE instruction per week. In addition to the PE time given, students are given 30 minutes of recess daily to get more exercise.
Matt Slatkin, a physical education teacher at Newport Mills Middle School, headed to Annapolis to lobby for the new bill. He understands the challenges school systems would face from the new bill but believes the limitations of the bill are not too much of a burden. “90 minutes is reasonable,” he said.
Slatkin also mentioned how the new bill would decrease the opportunity gap between higher-income families and lower-income families. The requirement gives the opportunity for everyone, regardless of social-economic background, to participate in sports.
Cyrus Choudry, a fifth grader at Wayside Elementary School, supported the new bill. “I think it will really help students get more exercise and have more fun,” he said.
The bill is part of Maryland’s initiative towards a healthier future generation and reducing childhood obesity.
Article by MoCo Student staff writer Bilal Choudry of Winston Churchill High School