Comments on: Midyear “trigger cuts” likely for California schools

By: Livegreen

Livegreen — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:31:14 +0000

I second OUSD Parent’s comments

By: J.R.

J.R. — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:28:55 +0000

This might answer a few questions regarding what is critical to learning, and or kids not focusing and climbing the classroom walls. Here is the clincher:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1897920,00.html

http://www.dyslexia-parent.com/mag38.html

http://www.feingold.org/PF/wisconsin1.html

By: OUSD Parent

OUSD Parent — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:52:58 +0000

I don’t know about all of the studies and peer review articles, but I can tell you that as a parent I believe that PE is CRITICAL to learning. The years that my kids had teachers that recognized that movement and exercise helped the kids sit still, so they could learn, were the years where my kids experienced the most success and learning. Our OUSD elementary school has parent funded PE 2-3 days a week depending on the grade level. In addition there are several teachers who get the kids out on the yard moving on the days that there isn’t formal PE. I say the more opportunity to move, the better. Our local middle school (Montera) has PE 5 days a week. I would not be happy If that was cut due to trigger cuts. Just wanted to share my humble point of view.

By: J.R.

J.R. — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:29:28 +0000

Turanga,
One period of exercise is not going to make much difference(when stacked against a bad diet), the healthy diet is going to make a much bigger impact on the children’s well being than does exercise. This is about priorities as well(because of the budget), academics must come first and we are shorting the kids on classroom time as it is(academic performance in this district has suffered for decades as has graduation rates are proof of that). Not even poverty and crime are as large a determinant in academics as we seem to make them. These kids are being poorly served and unspoken policies such as social promotion just magnify the problem.BTW, all these factors: poverty,crime,home-life,diet are bigger determinants of academic success than is a little exercise. Fitness is much more than just getting one period of P.E. per day(if that)some districts get P.E. just two and three times a week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC77oMoaWZE

By: Turanga_teach

Turanga_teach — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:41:20 +0000

That’s a pretty sweeping statement, JR, and there’s a fair bit of research (Satcher 2005, Taras 2005, just to cite two studies published in peer-reviewed journals) that would contest your assertion that physical activity in schools in unconnected to academic achievement. I could also give you many many dozens of firsthand anecdotal reports on the “brain activity” of a 6 year old who’s had afterschool physical activity curtailed due to an unsafe neighborhood and schoolday physical activity curtailed due to a misguided belief that only the 3Rs matter (hint: it may actually be possible to climb the walls in the classroom if you first try to sit for 4 consecutive hours).

Children live, move, and LEARN in a body. And well structured, carefully delivered physical education (the kind that’s happening right now in my Oakland public school) helps tremendously with learning processes that carry through to the academic classroom. One tiny example: bilateral coordination (crossing the midline) connects to an individual’s ability to access both sides of the brain in order to process information and solve problems.

I’m right there with you on the issues of diet. Schools, though, have bugger-all control on that, regardless of how hard we might try to push the veggies. Exercise is something that schools CAN deliver, and there are benefits well beyond giving someone a “make-work job”.

By: J.R.

J.R. — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:40:42 +0000

OTF,
Your words “There is more and more evidence that exercise and brain functioning are more highly linked than once thought.Physical education may, in fact, be one of the subjects that is most important in aiding our children’s intellectual achievement”. I brought up nutrition because it has been proven to be a big factor in brain function, and therefore learning. You are making the statement that intellectual achievement may be aided by exercise(unproven), and I am telling you that the bigger problem these kids face is poor diet which definitely affects the brain chemistry(proven). Physical Education as it currently exists, is nothing more than a make-work job, boondoggle, waste of time and money(neither of which this state can spare).

By: J.R.

J.R. — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:26:49 +0000

Cranky,
If it were possible to do that(which it isn’t for budget reasons)there would need to be a major shift of policy on unions part, and I don’t see that happening. The unions have a laser-like focus on their own interests mostly their own survival(and their members to a lesser extent)which is why you have mandatory union dues and only a miniscule refund for opting not to join.

By: On the Fence

On the Fence — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:05:51 +0000

No, J.R. Why would you ever deduce that I am claiming that “a litte exercise will counteract the poor diet many if not most of these same kids are fed at home” from what I wrote? Your reframing of my post is absurd because I did not specify a specific cohort of kids for whom exercise was advantageous, nor did I make any claims about nutrition, whatsoever.

I gave you a heads up about new information pertaining to the benefits of exercise with respect to brain functioning and intellectual achievement.

One of the traits that is exhibited in your posts is extreme mental rigidity. It seems to be difficult for you to take in other views and new information.

By: Cranky Teacher

Cranky Teacher — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:00:21 +0000

J.R., do you think teachers unions might be willing to move off job security if pay was dramatically increased — say, 25%?

By: J.R.

J.R. — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:09:35 +0000

OTF,
Are you claiming that a little exercise will counteract the poor diet many if not most of these same kids are fed at home and also consume in the cafeteria? If you are going to discuss brain function then you must know that nothing will impair brain function like a poor diet, exercise or not.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/childrens-health/articles/2009/03/04/school-lunches-too-fatty-and-sugary-critics-say

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/what-are-your-kids-having-for-lunch

http://www.livestrong.com/article/395372-diseases-from-eating-unhealthy-school-lunches/