Keep Health, Pe Classes, Board Told

The state will jeopardize the future health of its children if physical education and health are not required in public schools, witnesses say.

For four hours Wednesday evening, legislators and representatives from Idaho’s Board of Education heard teachers, school administrators, college students and parents testifying in favor of mandatory health and PE classes.

“What good is all the knowledge in the world if your health isn’t good enough to keep you alive?” asked Lewiston High School physical education teacher Jim Minnette.

The state is revamping its public schools rules and regulations, scaling back the current 1,500 rules to a proposed 378. The new rules add requirements for additional math, science, social studies and geography courses but reclassify health, physical education, reading and humanities classes as electives.

Health educators said that as America’s youth become more sedentary and overweight, Idaho should be increasing physical education requirements, not eliminating them.

Tana Page, mother of four, said panel members had good intentions but there are serious flaws with the proposals. “The kids who need these classes the most are going to be the least likely to sign up for these classes (if they’re voluntary),” she said. “We can’t afford to lose those kids.”

About 200 people attended the hearings; only two people favored dropping the physical education and health requirement. Moscow attorney and parent Andrew Schwam said that if the physical education classes were voluntary, teachers would be forced to make the classes more interesting and fun to attract students.

Also at issue are two proposals to loosen teaching certificate requirements. Several teachers said that subject-matter knowledge alone is not the proper preparation for managing and teaching a classroom of students.

“Our children deserve the best. They are entitled to teachers who know their subjects, understand their needs and have mastered the professional skills required to make learning come alive,” said Moscow elementary teacher Carrie Bitterwolf, Idaho’s first nationally certified teacher.

“Anyone who believes this will improve education is either arrogant, ignorant or incompetent,” Warren Tourangeau of Kooskia told the panel. Tourangeau worries about his son competing with students from other states when he attends college, and fears Idaho’s new course requirements will “make education and Idaho students a laughingstock.”

Several parents of private-school students also expressed concern about the new charge to have their children ride public school buses. The proposal would charge parents the average costs of transporting students rather than the actual cost of carrying extra students on an established route.

The change could cost parents $550 a year per child.