Roos adds a post player...

[musicman2343]

FWIW, put me firmly in the camp of those who want as much PE...QUALITY PE...to be a part of elementary, JR High and HS as possible. We're quickly becoming a nation of putty-butts and we need to turn that around ASAP.

This is why one reason why I flip-flopped the two. If it's quality PE, then I'm on board with more requirements; and, I would say some PE every semester so there's no sedentary periods. From all the PE I've observed - at my private high school, the public high school in the same city and high schools I've observed, quality PE is what is lacking. We rarely did anything to actually encourage physical fitness.

[mscarn]

PE is justified and badly, badly needed, but let's not pretend 30 minutes every other day with Mr. Noneck is going to make a fat kid skinny.

[h2oville rocket]

PE is justified and badly, badly needed, but let's not pretend 30 minutes every other day with Mr. Noneck is going to make a fat kid skinny.

Nor should it be expected to. What it SHOULD do is not focus on playing games or working out but on a comprehensive life path of health and fitness, including nutrition and safe, effective ways to exercise that allow the fat kid to get skinny on his own when he's ready to do that.

[jg4242]

As a teacher, I'm fine with all of the above except course requirements:

1 unit of PE
2 units of fine arts

Fine arts will always take you further than PE.

I'm right with you, musicman! And band should absolutely count for a semester of P.E. Also, I'm going to jump on the weighted GPA bandwagon: They're horrible! Weighted GPA's are an advantage ONLY for average-performing kids who want to do nothing beyond the bare minimum. Unfortunately, they often have the loudest parents, which is why many schools have weighted GPA's.

I understand what you two mean and in a former time, I would agree with you. But with the childhood obesity problems, that is why I would mandate the two units of Physical Education. A quarter credit each semester - need two units of credit to graduate means - - - Yep! You take a PE each semester for 8 semesters (or all four years).

And yes, marching band is a very physical program, but if I'm not going to count athletic participation as a PE, I can't count Band as a PE either (have to be consistent across the board).

You may not count athletic participation as P.E., but I will. So I am consistent across the board! And the state of P.E. in most schools in this country is laughable, so I'm all for offering alternatives for students.


Oh, and basketball, Falcons, rah rah rah...

[Flipper]

PE is justified and badly, badly needed, but let's not pretend 30 minutes every other day with Mr. Noneck is going to make a fat kid skinny.

Nor should it be expected to. What it SHOULD do is not focus on playing games or working out but on a comprehensive life path of health and fitness, including nutrition and safe, effective ways to exercise that allow the fat kid to get skinny on his own when he's ready to do that.

Exactly...ditch the hyper competitive "crush the weak" or even worse the "just run around awhile...or don't" approach and actually provide some meaningful, positive instruction. But then, I think Richard Simmons is a God and The Biggest Loser is a joke

[mscarn]

PE is justified and badly, badly needed, but let's not pretend 30 minutes every other day with Mr. Noneck is going to make a fat kid skinny.

Nor should it be expected to. What it SHOULD do is not focus on playing games or working out but on a comprehensive life path of health and fitness, including nutrition and safe, effective ways to exercise that allow the fat kid to get skinny on his own when he's ready to do that.

Exactly...ditch the hyper competitive "crush the weak" or even worse the "just run around awhile...or don't" approach and actually provide some meaningful, positive instruction. But then, I think Richard Simmons is a God and The Biggest Loser is a joke

A world without Simmons would be a bleak one indeed. I'll take his authentic enthusiasm over the rolled eyes of the world-weary pomo hipster any day of the week.

Regarding the point about obesity, I'm pretty sure much of the nutritional/life stuff is already found in heath curricula.