NewsWe need your help now to protect the future of our fine arts programs.
Below is an update of the Physical Activity Requirement Bill, which if passed as is would require students to take six semesters of PE in grades 6-8, that would take away one complete elective that our children now have, probably the fine arts one!
We encourage ALL parents to call, no matter what grade your children are in now and even if you have no other children coming up in any fine arts programs to call their state representative. The substitute bill will at least ensure that we get to keep what we have now in terms of PE requirements. PE in 6th plus one year of PE in Middle School. This is our best alternative now.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REQUIREMENT BILL UPDATE
House Committee Substitute for SB530 Voted Out of Committee
The house committee substitute to SB530 (now called CSSB530) was voted out of committee as amended late Tuesday evening and will be moving to the floor of the House in as soon as two days. This bill addresses elementary and middle school physical activity requirements and certainly provides more flexibility in scheduling at both the elementary and middle school levels than the Senate version of this bill (SB530) or the original house committee substitute. (The Senate version as passed requires 30 minutes of daily physical activity or 135 minutes per week below grade nine and does not allow structured recess to count in elementary school.)
In CSSB530, however, to meet the 30-minute daily or 135-minutes per week physical activity time requirement each student in middle school will be required to participate in physical activity four semesters overall in grades six through eight. (This provides flexibility at each grade level based on the needs of your students/campus.) The bill also allows the commissioner of education to write rules for exemptions for a student who participates in an extracurricular activity with a moderate or vigorous physical activity component as well as for a student who participates in a school-related activity or an activity sponsored by a private league or club if the student provides proof of participation in the activity.
The bill as amended also restores the flexibility to include structured recess in meeting the 135-minute weekly physical activity requirement in elementary school, thus protecting precious instructional minutes for music, art and other enrichment subjects.
ACTION: Immediately call your state representative and request that if they choose to vote for this bill, to support the substituted version of SB530 (CSSB530) as voted out of the Public Education Committee last Tuesday evening. Further, share with them that this version of the bill includes the flexibility to best serve your program and students on your campus and protect academic electives. Finally, encourage them to not support any amendments that will increase physical activity requirements beyond four semesters overall in grades 6-8 as called for in the committee substitute (CSSB530) or that removes the flexibility of counting structured recess in elementary school as also called for in the same bill.
Remember that as the bill moves through the final days of the session there are two more opportunities for the bill to become more prescriptive and less flexible, and there are currently organizations lobbying to remove the flexibility we have worked hard to attain. We do not want the House to pass a bill that is more limiting than the current bill described above. IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU CALL AND DO SO IMMEDIATELY! THERE IS MUCH AT STAKE!
If your administration has concerns about this bill which may include financial, facilities and scheduling impact, please have them call as well and share those concerns. But again, if they believe the flexibility we have attained is important and is a worthy compromise, have them call and voice their support for the House substitute as well.
When you call, tell your story. Share with your parents of students if you choose. Be polite, be positive, be supportive, be brief. I minimally would mention our primary goal of protecting academic elective opportunities for students and the importance of fine arts and other enrichment subjects for children. You may identify your Texas state representative by entering your address at the following site:
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