Seminole County elementary school children are expected to get 20 minutes of daily recess next school year under a new policy. The Osceola County School Board adopted a similar policy in February. However, none of Florida's 65 other school districts make recess a required part of the elementary school day! Whether children get daily recess can vary by school and even by classroom. Last year, the Orange County School Board voted to recommend — but not require — recess, at least on days when students did not have a physical education class.
A group known as "The Recess Moms" has been urging school districts in Florida to mandate daily recess, arguing that students need a break from academics and a chance to play and socialize with classmates.
Recess was a routine part of elementary when I was a young boy in the early-to-mid 1970's, but in many schools across America it is being squeezed out by academic demands -- particularly since the No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law in 2002. But many parents and the American Academy of Pediatrics say children need time to play during the day, both for their emotional and social development and so they can better focus on school work when they are in class. In a 2013 report the academy called recess "crucial and necessary."
Many school administrators worry that a requirement to have daily recess will tie the hands of educators who, by state law, also have blocks of reading, math and other lessons that they must fit into the school day. Some principals argue that they do not have the staff to supervise recess.
It's sad to see that recess has become such a hot topic of debate in today's elementary schools. However, yesterday I was encouraged to read that Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo said she'll sign a bill mandating at least 20 minutes of recess at elementary schools across Rhode Island, joking that her kids would be mad if she rejected it. "I am not going to veto that bill," Gov. Raimondo said. "I don't think my children would let me in the house if I vetoed that bill."
From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),
Paul J. Staso
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Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek
Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:
- United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
- Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
- Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
- Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
- The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
- Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
- Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
- Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
- Some Cycling Moments From The Past
