Other Rural News

A Push for Increased Phy Ed

By March 28, 2015 No Comments

A bill that would direct the Minnesota Department of Education to adopt statewide physical education standards and benchmarks is moving forward.

HF489 sponsored by Rep. Bob Dettmer (R-Forest Lake) would be directed by standards from the K-12 National Association of Sport and Physical Education.

Dettmer, who taught physical education for 34 years, said the bill would be the first time since 2010 that Minnesota has updated its physical education standards for K-12 schools. In 2003, the Legislature required that all school districts adopt local standards for health and physical education.

The committee approved the bill Thursday and sent it the House Education Finance Committee. Its companion, SF343, sponsored by Sen. Susan Kent (DFL-Woodbury), awaits action by the Senate Finance Committee.

The bill also contains provisions that would require the department to annually report the weekly amount of time K-8 students spend in physical education class, the percent of K-12 students who receive a passing physical education grade and the number of required physical education credits school districts require their high school students to complete in order to graduate.

MREA has concerns that this may turn into an unfunded mandate for local schools and may in fact make students lose out on the opportunity of taking an additional PSEO or concurrent enrollment class.