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Armstrong votes no on
legislation to increase mandates
on local schools
Rep. Mike
Armstrong,
R-Wenatchee, urged fellow lawmakers in the House to protect local school
districts from a new mandate designed to force additional
responsibilities and curriculum on Washington’s middle schools.
Armstrong voted no on
House Bill 3043, that would mandate physical education in all public
middle schools across the state.
“As a former school board member, I can’t support piling new dictates on
our schools. We should leave it up to our local districts to decide this
kind of thing,” said Armstrong. “This is why we have school boards. They
set direction for local school districts, not mandates by the state.”
House Bill 3043 says that by 2006, school districts in Washington would
be required to adopt some kind of physical education and fitness program
for students in middle school. The legislation orders that curriculum
must include a daily period of physical activity in which at least 20
minutes consists of aerobic activity in the student’s target heart rate
zone.
Further, specific
components of the curriculum must include instruction in basic movement
and fine motor skills, progressive physical fitness, athletic
conditioning, and nutrition and wellness.
“In addition to placing
another state-mandated burden on our schools, this kind of dictate
limits children’s options,” continued Armstrong. “This bill doesn’t
recognize athletic programs outside of the school day, such as
basketball, soccer or marching band, as ‘proper’ exercise. This means
children must take P.E., and if this gets in the way of other important
classes they’d like to take—such as advanced placement courses—then
that’s just too bad.”
House Bill 3043 would extend the mandate to elementary and high schools
by encouraging school districts to adopt physical education and fitness
programs for students and to articulate the instructions across all the
grades. The measure now goes to the Senate for consideration.
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For more information, contact:
John
Sattgast, Public Information Officer: (360) 786-7257
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