The Los Angeles Unified School District is breaking the law. Specifically, it does not comply with a state law that requires a certain amount of physical education per kid per week: 20 minutes a day in elementary school, and 40 minutes a day in middle and high school.
This issue first came to light in June when the California Center for Public Health Advocacy used the Public Records Act to find out if the state’s schools were complying with the PE statute. Answer: They weren’t. Or more specifically, 37 out of the state’s 73 districts were failing to require even that bare minimum 20 (or 40) minute workout. Elementary schools complied the least, and even when kids were in PE, it seemed in a lot of the schools, they spent very little time actually exercising.
Worse, it turned out that the highest number of flagrant violators congregated in Southern California where seven of 16 districts failed to comply—LAUSD prominently among them.
Following the report, a group of kid advocates led by Robert Garcia of The City Project, plus a string of health-related non-profits like City of Hope and the American Diabetes Association, sent a letter to LAUSD superintendent Admiral David Brewer in which Garcia and company laid out how off-kilter things were in the PE realm.
They brought up such points as:
–At LAUSD’s South Gate High School, 1,600 children took the state FitnessGram test and not one passed.–Forty LAUSD schools did not have a single physically fit student.
They also mentioned the much-publicised obesity epidemic that is plaguing California’s kids (and the nation’s kids, for that matter), and the spike in childhood diabetes.
So how did the good Admiral respond to these alarm bells?
“He didn’t,” Garcia told me. “We have not received the courtesy of any reply at all. He hasn’t engaged in any kind of dialogue”
Garcia’ went on to talk to educators individually and, while some shared his concern, others told him that there was no time for PE. “They said they were too busy preparing kids for the tests required by No Child Left Behind, that there aren’t enough hours in the day. They keep thinking they can separate out the child’s mind and body,” Garcia said. “But we see over and over again that kids do better in school and are more likely to stay in school, if they have enough physical activity.”
After months of being stonewalled by Brewer, Garcia and company decided to enlist a bigger-footed ally: UTLA—the teachers union.
The union got on board immediately. And, at an 8:30 press conference this morning, UTLA announced its plans to launch a campaign to “push for critical changes in LAUSD’s current PE program.”
Let’s hope it works.
It’s refreshing to see UTLA embracing the role of change agent in this case, since so often in the past it has been obstructive. And, let’s be honest, if change of any kind—large or small— is going to take place in this district, Admiral Brewer is unlikely to be the one to lead it.
Don’t those kids get enough exercise lifting merchandise and running from the law?
Regarding these points….
“–At LAUSD’s South Gate High School, 1,600 children took the state Fitness test and not one passed.
“–Forty LAUSD schools did not have a single physically fit student.”
…I don’t believe them at all. NONE out of 1600?! NO STUDENTS out of forty schools. The study is flawed.
The questions should be addressed to those making those claims rather than those that they accuse. Those idiots don’t deserve a civil response.
And, rather than disputing the numbers and consequences, the teachers and union falsely blame “No Child Left Behind.” What a politically-slanted cop-out.
The role of schools is to educate the kids–period. That’s it.
We don’t need them displacing the guidance and roles of parents by things such as teaching “alternative lifestyles,” giving away birth control pills, offering abortions, indoctrinating with political and politically-correct philosophy, allowing lack of discipline, giving false self-esteem with phony grading, or being keepers of health–wasting tax money all the while.
The only thing that schools don’t want to run is anything to do with religion, as that doesn’t exist in their make-believe world and for which they say that parents can handle that. Guess what. I can handle that and everything else better than them. Just let me keep my school tax money and use vouchers to educate the kids as they deserve.
If school teachers could ever prove that they can adequately educate our children, then, maybe, we could trust them to do more. It’ll never happen in today’s world. That’s something from the distant past.
BTW, with this season, schools may call it a “winter break” but it’s really the Christmas holidays. They are so afraid of talking about life as it really is.
Good for Admiral Brewer for ignoring these people looking for attention. There are more pressing matters.
Please let me know if I haven’t made my position on government and union directed schools clear.
Of course this is pitiful, and very disappointing that Brewer comes off as the obstructing force, while UTLA. which has been hell-bent on obstructing Charter, Green Dot and other educational innovations that might impact their teachers’ jobs and seniority, apparently jumped right on board. (Garcia herself comes in for a lot of barbed humor over her weight, but at least she’s doing the right thing here.)
Along with the educational failures — LAUSD came in 11th of 11 big city school districts tested, not only when it came to the Latino and black kids (who actually have been falling further behind), but also when white kids are compared to those in the other districts (since the brilliant policy of pushing them out of their “own” westside schools has worked so admirably, the top achieving kids aren’t in the system ) — kids are set on track to following their parents into obesity. Jan Perry recently banned new fast food restaurants from her district to “combat obesity” but taking away the kids’ PE and teaching lifetime exercise habits isn’t on Brewer’s radar.
Of course, cutting him some slack, I have to say this isn’t just his personal blindness: I was appalled to learn that even at one of the few decent elementary schools left on the westside (not mine), kindergardeners were given only a 10- minute recess break, due to the new half-day schedule. In addition, the piano, and colorful-looking building blocks and stuff you might expect kindergardeners to use, were never used due to emphasis on the 3 R’s. Yet, despite being deprived of childhood and PE, kids are faring worse on tests than ever before.
Meanwhile, the L A Daily News reports that Brewer has hired a slew of P R consultants, convinced that the problem at LAUSD is really a matter of perception, because the press just loves to focus on the negatives. So someone needs to focus on (spin) the happy stories. The guy chosen to lead this spinning, who’ll be paid $180,000/yr (as much as the City Council, a salary the papers have also made a huge fuss about), does not have a college degree as would be required for a job at that level, so he’s enrolled in the University of Phoenix to get a degree. (Isn’t that one of those diploma mills advertised on tv?) What a great example to the kids as they’re weighing the importance of rigorously preparing fir college.
Why bother? Since Maggie and Woody want to break the union, fire the teachers and close the schools because they know all that much I’ll just say that maybe they are right. They obviously didn’t learn anything in school and certainly not the art of coherent argumentation.
Lets just home school everyone and, maybe, down the road the Chinese and Indians will take pity on us and let us mow their lawns!
ric, you and reg are reasons no one else bothers to comment on this blog. What a miserable, disparaging, condescending and utterly ignorant person you are. How dare you constantly tell me I’m illiterate when I don’t accept your braindead leftist rants — precisely because I do know the benefits of a first-rate educastion, and see the lack of it in you. Everything I’ve said is substantiated, even if I don’t bother with every link every time — why don’t you look at the current online issue of L A Daily News for the rankings of L A in national tests.
Sorry, Celeste, but ric and reg and some other “regular commenters” are why no one bothers to comment on this blog. Woody, who I may not agree with, doesn’t attack these guys, just responds — how sad, the insecurity of the defeated old-guard left, as they bite out venomously at the reality of what their types of social engineering have wrought.
Actually, your last line may well be apt: if you did go and mow their lawns, you’d be doing something you just might be suited to. (What a brilliant example of the “art of coherent argumentation” you demonstrate there.)
Maggie. I’d missed that Daily News piece. ARRRRRGGGGGGhhhhh! Brewer is clueless. Nice guy, but clueless.
I’m not calling anyone illiterate (not with my spelling), but Robert Garcia is a man and not at all overweight.
What I’ve heard about Brewer is that all of the concerns about his being a lightwight and an outsider were exactly on point. The school board is so unbelievably bad. I wish I knew whether it’s incompetence, politics, or lack of time (it’s mindboggling that we can’t pay the LAUSD school board to be full time employees) that keep bringing bad decisions, like Brewer and the anti-charter approach, from the board. It’s probably all three. The truth is that the board beat Villaraigosa and gets to keep rearranging deck chairs until the public wakes up and kicks them out of office.
Celeste, the school rankings I quoted are widely available, also in the Daily News and in detail online: the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as “the Nation’s Report Card.” LAUSD Ass’t Supe Esther Wong interprets the troubling results, where only Hispanic kids/ English learners made any slight gains over 05 (but still rank on the bottom) on the fact that LAUSD “focusing on culturally relevant education” has helped that demographic.
But, African-Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders and whites, made no gains and in fact, rank at the bottom nationally in their respective ethnic groups.
Meanwhile, the L A Times today quotes Monica Garcia saying the district “is awash in cash” (or something to that effect, that may not be a precise quote), to justify LAUSD not laying off or reassigning any teachers in schools with a declining enrollment. (Apparently, since 50% — ! — of kids don’t graduate high school, attrition in high schools especially kicks in at this time of year.) In this case, it’s Brewer who’d been advocating doing so, or at least waiting a couple of weeks to make a decision, after reviewing the year-end budget, in order to save some $18 million.
All of them — Brewer, LAUSD Board, UTLA — are clueless and working at odds with each other and many parent groups — but of course, it’s all a matter of “faulty perception” which calls for hiring some P R consultants to fix things.
(Final and only P. S. on this to ric/reg/LA etc.: I don’t need to get into “arguments” or post links re: the critical lack of schools on the westside, it’s a matter of living it, i.e., empirical evidence — preschool conversation among parents, and more importantly between parents and teachers, on the westside/ some other areas, consists exclusively of comparative analysis of elementary schools, and virtually every parent conducts research analogous to what other areas only have to do for college. Everyone knows the handful of elem. schools which are good to okay, and the state of middle and high schools from first, second-, third-hand and online sources. It’s awful, it’s stressful, and it sucks. It hurts the whole district by removing this demographic from LAUSD, and the resulting test scores are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of social consequences.
ric — when people make a comment, they don’t need a spiteful attack from you: make your own point or not, and let others do the same. Or don’t old-guard leftists believe in free speech?)
Wow – still in a rage because she got called on a completely absurd assertion sputtered in her zeal to slime Rosa Brooks and Fareed Zakaria with unhinged ad hominem (“wacked out” “nutcase” “moronic” etc). The quote from this person was “‘Are we to believe that Tehran is about to overrun the international system and replace it with an Islamo-fascist order?’ (Well yeah, because it’s Iran’s leader in his funny suits who’s a nutcase, in denial of reality, and hence liable to do anything.)â€Â
I called the notion that Iran poses that level of threat “crazy” because I believe that it is – on its face. She claimed that folks who take the view that Iran cannot be seen as an existential threat to the “West” at that level “wacked out nutcases.” Try as she might to spin this, most likely by heightening the invective, that’s why she’s in a twist.
I refuse to engage this harriden in any further discussions – if only because I find her overweening self-regard rather ridiculous – but I won’t allow her to persist in dragging my name through her mud without reminding anyone who bothers to read the insults exactly what it was that prompted her to pop her cork.
Lot of good that “fine education” did…
Mavis, you’re right about the Garcias: it’s just that Monica Garcia, as head of the new school board, gets a lot of heat for her weight and being a poor example for Latina kids when it comes to exercise and healthy lifestyle choices (as does Gloria Molina). I was making (what I hoped would be) a quick observation here.
ric, the valiums clearly aren’t working. I’m not conversant with the current anti-psychotic drugs, but you should be.
Maggie. Those rankings were a big story about two weeks ago when the UCLA study came out. I likely should have blogged about it then. (Can’t remember why I didn’t.) But I’m glad you pointed to them.
Here’s the syndicated piece that the Daily News’ Naush Boghossian wrote at the time that goes into more of the details. It’s quite devastating.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/11/11/BAU6T9ECU.DTL&type=printable
(Now stepping out of room to return to other writing, carefully ducking flying fruit and vegetables as I go.)
I’m actually not interested in participating in an online version of the Jerry Springer show, unlike some people, who carry around bags of old tomatoes looking for a target, so I’m very wary of even peeking at this blog, sometimes make an observation and run for cover…(The fact that I dare venture here at all is a testament to your posts, not the company you keep — with some exceptions.)
just noticed that it’s reg who the last para of 9 was meant for, tho it could apply to both r’s: I’m literally not able to bear reading through either of your nasty diatribes against me and just feel sorry for you, so get you guys mixed up.
Woody, meant to reply to your comment re: accuracy of fitness test results, but got distracted by this (I’m going to ignore them from now on): You’re right, it’s impossible that of 1600 kids not one was actually “fit,” but when they don’t have PE or PE teachers, who was measuring them? Clearly, someone who wasn’t fully cognizant of how to make the evauluations. The standards are quite rigorous and confusing — even at private schools w/ daily PE, with qualified PE teachers, only half the kids make the cut on average — but still, something is wrong here. The testing actually takes place over days, so maybe they didn’t devote the time it would have taken, either.
I spent quite a bit of time last night trying to make sense out of the FitnessGram test. (Hey, I wanted to know if I’d pass it.)
It seems like another one of those multi-million $ products that school districts and states buy. Maybe it’s just swell, but the product/pricing page bothered me.
http://www.fitnessgram.net/home/
In the end, I gave up. Without having the thing on one’s possession, it’s hard to tell, except in the most general terms, how realistic the test really is.
All I can do is give you a frame of reference. Statewide, only around 25 percent of high school kids pass. (I don’t remember the percentage for elementary. I’d have to go back and look it up.) Even Malibu H.S. only scored in the 24% range (although interestingly, the Malibu girls scored much higher than the boys).
But, even if the test sets an overly high ideal that most kids don’t match, the fact that 40 LAUSD schools can’t get a single kid over that bar is a little alarming.
In the letter to Brewer, there’s a more nuanced breakdown of range of kids who did or did not pass. (I’ve just put in a link in the body of the post.)
Maggie, very glad you do show up. Everyone else too. I recommend—and will continue to recommend—to all of you, that if a commenter annoys you, don’t answer him or her. On the other hand, if you feel like arguing back, go for it.
Just don’t let it get too out of hand with personal attacks.
Okay, now I really am going back to other writing.
I taught in two NorCal public schools for 5 years, and the only reason I was able to provide the required amount of P.E. time was because an occupational therapist who was servicing one of my mainstreamed special needs students went above and beyond her own job description, providing me with a new class set (!) of equipment each month, and providing an inservice on cooperative games that kept kids moving instead of standing in line waiting their turn. Two ground level issues in addition to the feeling compelled to teach to test: lack of equipment & a physical education paradigm that is biased toward team sports- which rarely translate into lifelong activities when children are out of school.
How can schools possibly make room for phys ed or scholastic courses when they spend time for more important things like this?
See what liberals have done to our schools? We certainly don’t need any more imput or suggestions from them.
Let’s worry about healthy minds before we worry about healthy bodies.
Two ground level issues in addition to the feeling compelled to teach to test: lack of equipment & a physical education paradigm that is biased toward team sports- which rarely translate into lifelong activities when children are out of school.
Right! Exactly! Sums it up in a nutshell. In addition, at certain ages/with psychological make-ups, team sports are resisted – competition is either too threatening, or too intense.
*Equipment for individual sports is expensive by definition – every kid has to be outfitted,
*if all kids are to participate for a ‘reasonable’ amount of time, there need to be enough ‘stations’ – meaning more dedicated space,
*for some types of activities, safety (reducing liability) requires more than one teacher to be present
*and, individual skill development requires a certain amount of one-on-one instruction; an efficiency problem.
In the end you have to ask, What’s the goal? Weight management? Cardiovascular fitness? Skill acquisition? Get the kids out of the classroom teacher’s hair? These are not, and should not necessarily be, mutually exclusive. However, when you’re faced with 40 kids, 40 minutes, limited space, a limited equipment budget, etc. you might be better off targeting a single achievable goal, than an array of related goals.
And, much past the elementary grades, does the native talent of the student matter? You wouldn’t place someone with inadequate preparation in math in an AP calculus class. Likewise, I wouldn’t be inclined to ask someone who has really poor hand-eye coordination to play baseball/softball just because it’s an activity schools are able to provide relatively easily.
Anymore, I tend to think schools would be better off targeting cardiovascular fitness and outfit a space with a mix of elliptical trainers, treadmills, and stationary bikes. Kids can rotate every 10 minutes. Bo-ring! But, likely more effective than what many schools have now. Beyond that, intramurals, and competitive teams for those invested, or *have the money* to play. At least it would give a kid a certain baseline level of raw physical conditioning on which a kid could build. Beats an empty space, which many PE programs could only charitably be called.
Who said that cross-dressing was a liberal phenomenon? 😉
[…] Also via LA Observed: How badly does the school district violate the state requirement for daily physical education for most kids? At South Gate High School, 1,600 students took the state Fitness test and not one passed. Forty LAUSD schools could not report a single physically fit student. WitnessLA.com […]
I will temporarily call my self an “expert” on weight and fitness. Since a very young age I was in wresting, which involved lots of road work and weight training. And I still workout regularly.
There is an advantage to being a “defeated old-guard leftâ€Â, back in my Junior High days all the boys were forced to run a 2-1/2 mile course around the school. Our P.E. Teacher (and wrestling coach) would run along side and give anybody lagging behind, a swift kick in the ass. We also did calisthenics, good ole fashion Jumping Jacks, push-ups and etc. The only “equipment†required are tennis shoes and gym shorts. And any kid who did not cooperate was taken to the P.E. teacher’s office and hit across the ass with a “swat†paddle (a piece of wood with holes drilled into it).
And us “defeated old-guard left†did not have video games, computers, large screen T.V. for entertainment, so we had to go outside and play. You played baseball in an empty lot, chased your dog around, or rode your bicycle.
Everybody knows about the need to exercise and burn the calories you consumed. But I believe the food we eat today must contain too many growth hormones. If you look at the kids of small/short immigrants, for example the kids of Japanese, Chinese and Central Americas, you will notice how their kids are usually much bigger than their parents. So it might also be the food we consume not just the lack of exercise. When you are in France or Japan you quickly notice that they have less over-weight people than we do (is it their food?). And the French are known to enjoy a good long meal. I also notice that people in the mid-west who consume more dairy products, seem to be fatter (sorry to the skinny folks in the mid-west).
While a government can’t force a fat kid to exercise it can regulate what chemicals can be used to stimulate growth in the food we eat.
I’m not sure where the Los Angeles schools rank, but I do know LAUSD has some really lousy schools. I have seen and heard too many stories about gangs, violence and drugs in schools. Even parents of the kids from the poorest of countries are surprised about how bad the Los Angeles schools are. I know people from Central America who have sent their kids back home to receive a better education.
If there was ever an organization that needed a weapon of “mass destruction†dropped on its’ head, it’s the LAUSD. The LAUSD needs to be immediately destroyed and every area needs to establish their own school district, so they can more effectively manage their schools. The LAUSD has way too many schools and students to be effectively or efficiently managed. I hold NO hope of the existing LAUSD to make any real improvements.
I remember passing that exam and its not an easy exam to pass. The sit-ups are probably the hardest part of that exam. Its all on based on how many a student can do within a couple of minutes. Most PE classes dont force kids to do sit-ups, unless your on the Baseball, Football, or Basketball team…ect.
Now the issue on South Gate High – these numbers are prior or after the LAUSD split the city in half. Half of the city’s students are now attending the new constructed South East High School. I heard that all the good athletes left South gate and are now attending South East.
I also heard the new SOuth East High School kicked the crap out of the original SG High School on Firestone in this year’s first Azalea bowl football game. The South East girls Soccer girls went to the playoffs as well.
You know, out of the entire area of LAUSD minority schools in SouthEast, I remember SOuth Gate as having a really good sport program. They weren’t in the top rankings but the Mexican/Americans kids had a lot of heart and active in sports. In 1987, their football team lost to the Valley’s powerhouse, Reseda High, in the 3A division playoffs on a field goal with seconds left. In 1988, they upsetted Westchester High, taking the LAUSD 3A championship. South Gate had not won a champingship game since 1955 when the school was almost entirely white.
I dont see how LAUSD can Split the population of a city in half then cry foul play with a fitness report.
Maybe someone should address how LAUSD decided to split the City in the 1980s and sent hundreds of kids to Jordan High school. Jordan High was scheduled to be closed down for non-attendance of students.
How did LAUSD solve the problem? – they split the city of South Gate to get Mexican/AMericans kids to attend a school across the alameda tracks.
I like to Thank LAUSD for taking SOuth Gate Students to a school where the majority of the south gate students dropped out, joined gangs, and ended up dead. For what? Just to keep an underscoring criminal ridden school open. Thanks again LAUSD – your the greatest.
A school district dedicated to their students better education….what a joke.
Today is cross-dressing day on Celeste’s site…if you like that sort of thing.
How they get around it: at my daughter’s elementary school the kids got a 45-minute once-a-week “psychomotor” session led by college-age kids. While this is happening, teachers are at grade-level meetings to discuss curriculum issues. When questioned as to why students are not getting daily 20-minute sessions of p.e. with their teachers, administrators said the psychomotor sessions met the state requirements if they were calculated on a weekly basis, even though that would mean the kids needed to get 100 minutes. So, basically, the parents and state law ignored. To boot, the PTA raised the money to pay the annual $11,000 for the psychomotor program from the YMCA. And, the “coaches” fitness as teachers of young children was uneven. One coach told a kindergartner who had just been kicked by a boy,”He just wants to kick it wit’ you, girl!”