<p>"BunsenBurner, sounds to me like there are too many options so that those "AP-crazy kids" can avoid taking regular PE. "</p>
<p>My son will be a senior next year and still has a semester of PE to go. When it was time to sign up for classes, a guy at the very top of the class wanted to take both AP Stats and AP Calculus, but couldn't fit it in if he took his final required PE class. My son had to convince him that he would not graduate without PE!</p>
<p>My kid's high school has PE every day as a requirement. She's enjoyed it a lot (Yoga, volleyball, etc.) except for the required semester of swim gym. That was a semester from heck and I am glad I never have to hear my kid complain like that.</p>
<p>I WISH our kids had the option of swimming. The natatorium is off campus but they have 90 minute classes. The only kids who can use the school pool are members of the swim team. Doesn't seem right.</p>
<p>I bet if they taught things like Pilates, spin, aerobics, yoga, you'd have lots of kids signing up, even if it wasn't required.</p>
<p>"I WISH our kids had the option of swimming. "</p>
<p>The pool and natatorium is skanky and dirty. They also can't dry their hair.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I would like to see PE required K-12 EVERY SINGLE DAY. I think there would be a drastic reduction in obesity in youths which means less diabetes, CVDs, etc. That would also lead to lesser healthcare expenses!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That's a great plan...except that in most Public High Schools, PE is a joke. Especially at my school...the laziest kids take PE. All they do is run. They might as well be on Track. The kids who actually want to do something productive play sports. I played Varsity Golf for 3 years to fill my PE requirements, and I really enjoyed it. But I'll tell you right now, this new plan isn't going to do crap. </p>
<p>missypie-boy are you right! I'd love to take a spin or yoga class. </p>
<p>The reason kids hate PE is because they don't get to choose it...it's forced upon us. Right now at my school we can only do sports, general PE (which again, only the laziest kids take), dance, ROTC or marching band (and you only get credit for that for 1 semester, so you end up having to take it all four years to fill the requirement). Now if we were given the option to do something like missypie suggests, something that WE got to choose and we actually would enjoy, things might be different.</p>
<p>Also, you know there are going to be kids who slip through the cracks. Who's really going to check and make sure that every single kid that failed the test the previous year is in PE class? The government doesn't have the time or the resources, and most public schools could care less as long as the kid in question puts up good standardized test scores. It's a good thought, but the plan itself will never work.</p>
<p>"The reason kids hate PE is because they don't get to choose it."</p>
<p>My kid's school has awesome PE. Step dancing, all kinds of stuff and they do get to choose. I love that.</p>
<p>See, THAT would be fun. >_<</p>
<p>I don't know about boys and the 9-minute mile, but going by my own female middle-aged abilities, I can WALK an 11 minute mile! I don't think the requirements are stringent at all; in fact, if a student can't achieve those requirements in an entire year of P.E., then something is seriously wrong with our kids or P.E. teachers.</p>
<p>My S2 took regular freshman PE, then took Strength and Conditioning (weightlifting...football player) for two years. This year as a senior he is taking Racquet and Paddle Sports (tennis, racquetball, badminton, ping pong, etc). He has it first period which is kind of a pain but other than that, he's having a blast. </p>
<p>S1 took lots of AP's but worked Team Sports into his senior yr. schedule. It was his favorite class of senior yr. </p>
<p>Only a few schools in our system have pools. Our swim team practices after school at a community pool. All team sports here practice after school so don't interfere with PE classes.</p>
<p>Why don't sports count as PE credit? Surely athletes do not need PE. PE does not help obesity. That's absurd.</p>
<p>
[quote]
PE does not help obesity.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I disagree. I believe it would go a long way into helping to change the problem. It is not the ONLY thing that needs to be done, but it would be a step in the right direction.</p>
<p>Of course, you people keep saying "it won't work the way it is now" well I know that!!! But in most cases, in order to make changes in the PE program at a lot of schools, money is needed. And it's NOT PROVIDED!</p>
<p>PE programs will not solve the obesity problem in America. The problem is a cultural one, not one that can be fixed by shoving money at schools for PE programs. Why is it that schools outside the U.S. spend little to no money on physical education (iirc) yet their obesity rates are much lower?</p>
<p>My 15 year old is a dancer; I spend a lot of time at competitions this time of year. Lots of companies have heavy girls and a few are quiet heavy. They can do everything the other dancers do. They dance between 8-20 hours a week, working hard, sweating the whole time. They remain heavy. One of our best dancers is a girl with 40" chest and 40" hips...she dances about 10 hours a week at our studio and is her school drill team captain. She gets LOTS of exercise, she's very fit, but is still quite heavy. There's more to the issue than excercise.</p>
<p>
[quote]
There's more to the issue than excercise.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Absolutely! There's also much more to health than appearance shows you.</p>
<p>Oklahoma has no PE requirement whatsoever.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Of course, you people keep saying "it won't work the way it is now" well I know that!!! But in most cases, in order to make changes in the PE program at a lot of schools, money is needed. And it's NOT PROVIDED!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Then fix the programs before you try and fix the kids. Like I said earlier, this law will never work because most CA PE systems are a joke. And because no one will hold a lot of kids accountable, you mark my words. Are the administrators really going to tell a kid, "Well you have amazing grades, ECs and everything else, and you've been accepted to __________, but you didn't pass the fitness test, so you can't graduate."</p>
<p>Lawsuits just waiting to happen, you mark my words. What parent wouldn't be irate?</p>
<p>Can you tell me why a FITNESS TEST is any less important than any other TEST? The word TEST is there!!</p>
<p>
[quote]
Are the administrators really going to tell a kid, "Well you have amazing grades, ECs and everything else, and you've been accepted to __________, but you didn't pass the fitness test, so you can't graduate."
[/quote]
</p>
<p>But that won't happen. The article states that students will still graduate even if they don't pass this test. However, they will be required to take PE in high school every year until they do pass. The test is simply a benchmark for students to meet to get out of PE.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Can you tell me why a FITNESS TEST is any less important than any other TEST? The word TEST is there!!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Other tests normally measure whether or not you have learned material in order to prepare for higher-level classes. Unless they're going to start offering AP Physical Education, I don't see the point.</p>
<p>Also, I find it interesting that no one is thinking about this: If kids don't want to go to class, they ditch. PE is most likely the most-ditched class at my school because it's such a joke. This would just make it all the worse.</p>
<p>Maybe your school should start disciplining students.</p>