Parents Fight To Keep School Recess For Kids

[The Straight Story]

Parents Fight To Keep School Recess For Kids

POSTED: 5:54 pm EDT September 1, 2006
UPDATED: 6:26 pm EDT September 1, 2006

ORLANDO, Fla. -- There is a growing concern across the state that Florida's Comprehensive Assessment Test mandate is slowly eliminating recess from the world of reading, writing and arithmetic, according to a Problem Solvers report.

The report featured Lori Kori, who spent 11 years as a teacher in Orange County classrooms.

Now, Kori is leading a grass roots effort petitioning law makers and school districts to mandate a 20-minute daily recess in kindergarten through grad 5.

"I believe you need to look at the child, what is good for the child, and all the research that we have pulled up says that recess is good for the child," Kori said.

Kori's rescue recess team points to a national trend that roughly 40 percent of America's public schools have cut back or are in the process of reducing recess.

In most Florida public schools, the trend isn't as widespread, but school officials admit recess has become an option not a rule, Problem Solver Mike Holfeld said.

http://www.local6.com/news/9779440/detail.html

[pooja]

1. I saw a commercial on Disney channel telling kids to demand their

recess time... it was crazy.

[immoderate]

2. misedumacated!

What a perversion of the idea of education. These kids are being trained to take this test.

No arts, shops, phys ed? No chance to work out the skills supposedly learned.

--IMM

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. Kids aren't allowed to be kids any more

Honestly, do administrators think that 7 and 8 year olds are going to sit, quietly and studiously like good little sponges, from 8 am to noon? Is it any wonder that so many teachers are demanding that the kids be Ritalin-ized into passivity? And how does this help them stay active after school and not turn in to 300 pound lardos who will die at the age of 45 from either heart disease or complications of diabetes?

[The Straight Story]

4. We started homschooling (daughter is in Kindergarten) and love it

So much more freedom and control over things.

No way in hell I would let her go the schools here.