WAG Overzealous Middle School PE Teacher

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Ellen Jean

Proud Parent
My DD is in 6th grade and a level 8 gymnast. She trains 23 hours a week. She is a straight "A" student and takes her studies very serious, including her PE grade. This was her first year in middle school and she is having all sorts of knee and foot pain. I realize some might be related to growing but when I contacted her teacher about the excessive running she does in PE I was told to buy her better shoes. I bought a $150 pair of running shoes (for middle school PE class mind you) and still she is having issues. Here is the problem as I see it.......
They run an "aerobic run" every Wednesday. For full credit it is 2.5 miles. If you finish early you must continue to walk, or run, as sitting out is not an option. Routinely my daughter has been doing 3.5 miles on these runs. Once a month, in place of this run, they are required to do a timed mile. For 12 year old girls it must be 7 minutes or less for an "A". When you miss a Wednesday for illness, you must make this run up on the scheduled make up day, which also happens to be Wednesday. So, for the one Wednesday she was out, she had to run her regular 3.5 in the am PE class and then stay after and run the 3.5 make-up run, then go to a 4 hour gymnastics practice. My attempt to get her out of PE has been unsuccessful so I am not sure where to go from here.
I went to the district office who told me I needed to go directly to the VP at her school as it would be a "site" decision, not a district one since she is only in 6th grade. The VP was somewhat understanding but relented when the PE teacher got upset that he talked to me without consulting her first. Needless to say, we got nowhere and the school was not understanding about the heavy load of physical activity on my daughter. She did tell her she could take a break the week of a meet but would still be required to make it up, so another 7 mile day was her answer.....no thank you. Also, medical releases have to be made up as well. So if she has a medical release for 4 weeks, yep she has to make up all 4 weeks of aerobic runs......ridiculous. So she never turned in her doctor note and who could blame her.
Does anyone have any advice on where I go from here???? I live in California so I know the rules are different on independent study in PE depending on state, but I think this is beyond crazy requirements even for those not doing 20+ hours of gymnastics a week. Help!!!
 
Wow! Just Wow!
I think I would try to look into the policy/what they do with kids who can't run (mild CP, asthma, CF etc) Do they get a 504 plan for gym? Can you use a severe's dx for this? (to get a 504)
This is nuts. I went to school in a state that did require daily PE all 13 years and we did get letter grades and took written finals, but almost all of our grade was dressing and participating.

Does California allow partial day school and partial day homeschool? You could homeschool that last 2-3 periods and do her PE, music, art, etc (just trying to think out of the box)
 
Well you should of tried to speak with the PE teacher first.

Unfortunately that ship has sailed.

Now arrange a meeting with the PE teacher and school admins. Specifically ask for the specific standards and requirements for PE. And ask how this teachers requirements align with the standards. I would ask for this ahead of time so everyone is prepared to discuss it. Really your child is fit, I can only imagine what less fit, kids are going through. Make sure what the standards and expectations are and if she is over stepping take it from there and up the food chain to the board if necessary.

Clearly doubling the miles in a day to make up something is ridiculous and at the very least that needs to addressed.

Find out if sports participation is allowed to get credit for PE.

Personally I don't think PE should be treated as an academic grade. It should be "satisfactory" type grade. But that is me. Really you participate or don't. You extend effort or don't. You get dressed, you participate, you get full credit.

If it affects your daughter GPA, I can see why it concerns her. If it doesn't I would have a conversation with her about choices, "doing it all" and how some things are "good enough"

And really, why is she running more then required. Full credit is 2.5, why is she doing more? Its not necessary. Full credit, should be good enough.
 
When dd was L5 in 2nd grade school she got a letter from her gym that she worked out 12 hrs a week year round. She was excused from all PE for the rest of Elementary, Middle and High school. It gave her an extra study hall which was very useful. You might ask about something like this.
 
Don't know if this will work but maybe:

Time to get a doctor note for shin splints or some such thing and demand (in writing) an online or other alternative instead of the run requirement, or better yet just an online class to meet the gym requirement (because I'd say an 80% chance if she does an alternative to meet just the running requirement in the class the teacher will give her a low grade using some other excuse). Requiring a gymnast to do seven miles of running on some days is stupid, this is about her (teacher's) control issues and has nothing to do with your daughter's well-being. Possibly check with someone you know who home schools and suggest the online class/resource yourself.

When you are ready to present your alternative give them something (in writing) that "makeups" won't work because the extra miles will cause a reinjury. Time to get creative to fight the craziness of this, best bet is to keep it short and simple and friendly, and include wording to appeal to the "risk management"/liability avoidance aspect of this (in a subtle yet not confusing way).

Keep it nice and give them an alternative it will be hard to say no to, and requires little effort on their part.

Such as, my daughter suffers from "x", see doctors note, she is not able to do make up runs which will reinjure. I would like her to do an online class to meet her gym requirement, it is "x" she will turn in "x" work. Make it something it's hard for them to say no to....

Most schools do have the ability to figure out alternatives. And little time to figure it out themselves (thus the suggestion to make it easy for them). For instance, a student who is many grade levels ahead in math can go up a higher middles school grade or even high school, go to a gifted program at a university after school and just do study hour during math time during school day, do online class at school in the computer lab, etc. etc. There are various ways to try to figure out special situations.
 
Thanks for the tips. I was told by the district there is no option for a supplemental PE class or getting credit for PE in an outside sport (in essence independent PE). I like the idea of homeschool for PE and the arts, so I will definitely look into that. She has a new coach who seems to think he will be more successful if the requests come from him rather than the parent. Im hoping to get something done now so next year she can take a study hall in place of PE because with those hours and her academic load she will need the extra hours for studying. I am also concerned, because my DD told me it is likely she will have the same teacher next year,oh boy!!!
 
Inde PE varies from district to district in CA. Unfortunately they often don't recognize outside sports, but the cheerleaders get out of PE.... You have to take this on yourself . Good news is the year is over , so make sure she doesn't have the same PE teacher next year.
 
We live in California and have had similar problems with PE this year. My younger DD has severs and even with the heel cup the runs were causing her pain. My older DD has Osgood Schlatters (sp) and had pain on the long runs. They have two different PE teachers in the same school. Older DD brought a dr note and was able to walk whenever she had pain. Only one she couldn't walk was the weekly timed mile (although their mile runs are a canyon trail run, which seems a bit much to me). When she missed, and when she was on independent study, her PE teacher gave her a pass (based on her gymnastics). My younger DD had the opposite. Her dr note was disregarded. She had to make up every run. While on independent study she accumulated 10 runs that had to be made up the week they returned! She was expected to run in class, at lunch, and after school every day! When I complained the teacher said she could just take the F if I had an issue with it. I thought it was just our school since their regular teachers gave us nothing but heartache also (YDD was forced to make up 6 tests in one day upon returning too. For one teacher.). For us, the solution was to find an alternative for next year- they will be doing school online (they are rising 7th and 9th graders). It was more than just PE that pushes us to that, though (the general inflexibility of the district, the lack of sleep, that I had issues with some of the curriculum). I am not sure you will be able to get a resolution that is good enough, but I hope she gets a different- and more reasonable PE teacher for next year!
 
This is ridiculous and in some cases likely dangerous. If she is having ongoing issues because of it and there are no accommodations being made, that IS a problem that requires the school to make a decision.

Will she have this same teacher next year?
 
I cannot imagine this system. My oldest would have failed every PE class offered if that were the case! That just does not seem like good planning on any part.

It sounds like you tried talking to the PE teacher first, with no luck. Drs notes do not help. VP would not help. I think a meeting with everyone is in order, and yes, that could include her coach if needed. And have ideas and plans ready to go. I bet you can find the PE standards online and figure out how she is meeting them (exceeding them in most cases).

D can actually do the independent study for PE starting next year. Of course, he cannot understand why on earth anyone woudl want out of PE and wants to know if he can use gymnastics in place of science.....sigh.

GOod luck! Keep us posted on what happens!
 
Probably not gonna be the popular opinion, but you cannot continue to allow her to literally run herself ragged. If they refuse to help you find a suitable solution, skip it. It's not going to retain or mess with her GPA. Yes, it's not optimal, but the school year is almost over and if the excessive ness continues next year. Do the same thing. Take a stand. Eventually, they will listen to you. You could have her coach write a letter describing the intensity required for gymnastics. A few of our girls had to have one. But if it were me, I get her an excuse and just wouldn't make it up.
 
I would look into getting a 504 for any reason that you can think of. My DD has cystic fibrosis, and while she is capable of doing gym, it is written in her 504 that she can be excused if I request it, and it doesn't have to be made up, even i she misses the whole year. It hasn't been an issue yet, even with all of her gymnastics, but her lung function is starting to go downhill, and I will not have gym affect her grades.
 
My younger DD had the opposite. Her dr note was disregarded. She had to make up every run. While on independent study she accumulated 10 runs that had to be made up the week they returned! She was expected to run in class, at lunch, and after school every day! When I complained the teacher said she could just take the F if I had an issue with it.

The fact that the teacher expected this and the administration supported it is beyond concerning to me. What exactly are they trying to achieve here? Proving that they have "absolute control" or a instilling a genuine love for being active and teaching students about health and fitness in a way that will serve them long term? I think the answer is obvious and unfortunately it has nothing to do with the health and wellness of the student. :(
 
You need to figure out what the school's standards are and what this teacher's standards are, and you need to get this information from official sources (i.e., the school and teacher). A couple of things confuse me. First, is the minimum standard 2.5 miles or 3.5 miles? If it is 2.5 miles, why is your daughter running 3.5 miles? Second, the seven-minute mile standard makes no sense to me at all. For a 12 year old girl, according to the Presidential Physical Fitness Program, an 8:23 mile would be in the 85th percentile. It sure sounds like something has gotten badly lost in translation.

If it does turn out that the teacher is requiring 3.5 mile runs each week and that this will continue next year, then I think you should pursue an IEP for gym for your daughter based on documented medical need.
 
My DD is in 6th grade and a level 8 gymnast. She trains 23 hours a week. She is a straight "A" student and takes her studies very serious, including her PE grade. This was her first year in middle school and she is having all sorts of knee and foot pain. I realize some might be related to growing but when I contacted her teacher about the excessive running she does in PE I was told to buy her better shoes. I bought a $150 pair of running shoes (for middle school PE class mind you) and still she is having issues. Here is the problem as I see it.......
They run an "aerobic run" every Wednesday. For full credit it is 2.5 miles. If you finish early you must continue to walk, or run, as sitting out is not an option. Routinely my daughter has been doing 3.5 miles on these runs. Once a month, in place of this run, they are required to do a timed mile. For 12 year old girls it must be 7 minutes or less for an "A". When you miss a Wednesday for illness, you must make this run up on the scheduled make up day, which also happens to be Wednesday. So, for the one Wednesday she was out, she had to run her regular 3.5 in the am PE class and then stay after and run the 3.5 make-up run, then go to a 4 hour gymnastics practice. My attempt to get her out of PE has been unsuccessful so I am not sure where to go from here.
I went to the district office who told me I needed to go directly to the VP at her school as it would be a "site" decision, not a district one since she is only in 6th grade. The VP was somewhat understanding but relented when the PE teacher got upset that he talked to me without consulting her first. Needless to say, we got nowhere and the school was not understanding about the heavy load of physical activity on my daughter. She did tell her she could take a break the week of a meet but would still be required to make it up, so another 7 mile day was her answer.....no thank you. Also, medical releases have to be made up as well. So if she has a medical release for 4 weeks, yep she has to make up all 4 weeks of aerobic runs......ridiculous. So she never turned in her doctor note and who could blame her.
Does anyone have any advice on where I go from here???? I live in California so I know the rules are different on independent study in PE depending on state, but I think this is beyond crazy requirements even for those not doing 20+ hours of gymnastics a week. Help!!!

Why is she running 3.5 miles if 2.5 miles is all she needs for an A and she has foot and knee problems? An additional mile is @ 40% extra running.
 
The fact that the teacher expected this and the administration supported it is beyond concerning to me. What exactly are they trying to achieve here? Proving that they have "absolute control" or a instilling a genuine love for being active and teaching students about health and fitness in a way that will serve them long term? I think the answer is obvious and unfortunately it has nothing to do with the health and wellness of the student. :(
This
 
+1 to Coachp's post.

I do not live or coach in CA. As a coach in a different state I take the best steps I can on behalf of my athletes.

Before the school year begins I/athlete/parent send a personal letter to each Physical Education Instructor and AD (when appropriate) on behalf of my athletes. In summary we identify the student/athlete as an everyday athlete, mental and physical fitness state/goals with their practice schedule. I reference the USA-G website and briefly speak to their athletic demands and their sport. I reference a couple of vids of skills the athlete is "upgrading this current summer). Importantly I thank them for advancing the fitness/nutrition/sports ethos that our gym/myself advocate everyday and offer myself as a resource if they need. Lifetime fit body and fit mind for the student/athlete is our shared goal.

I share that the student/gymnast has committed everyday athletic demands. Having an athlete/parents commit to being 100% committed to their sport does not allow room for additional very strenuous demands without injury. You can not go healthily beyond 100%. I provide a sample weekly planner to demonstrate fitness/athletic pedagogic goals. Accompanying the Workout Planner I provide an Annual meet schedule in spreadsheet form with fitness (High,medium, low intensity), tasks/upgrades (same intensity), routine (same intensity) gridded for each 6 week period.

The last paragraph we ask (1) that the Phy Ed teacher or AD contact me with any questions. we ask (2) that the student/athlete not be given deferense for assignments, but ask that the assignments be given with consideration of the athletic/mental load already committed to by the gymnast. Suggestion of having the athlete test out of goals that my be duplicative of current fitness/sport demands. is made. We ask (3) that during intense fitness/routines (highest being before important competitions) that assignments be given that would allow the student/athlete to stay safe/healthy. We make ourselves available upon short notice to test any fitness requirement to reduce the total load on the athlete.

The letters, I have mutually signed by myself (coach on behalf of program), parent and athlete, have been an effective first step to communicate. I follow-up with a call to the Phy Ed instructor early Fall to check in and confirm important dates (Travel Meets/State/Regions/Nationals).

I have come across Phy Ed teachers who brush our communication off , I find out through other sources they believe me odd, doubt the veracity and motives of our communication, AD's who make no time, limited time or ignore the communications. Many, most Phy Ed Teachers, in my experience read and appreciate being involved even if they can not alter their delivery of required cirriculum. Those folks have been helpful on behalf of my athletes. even if they have not showed consideration, I continue, respectfully and with integrity, as it is what I teach my athletes (and I am confident they demonstrate).

The best case scenario happened this year when a local Middle School Phy.Ed.Teacher had several of my athletes in class. During busy Nov. (pre-season load is high and the first meets coming allowed them to test out of weight resistance training/volleyball/basketball. They had assignments/tests on game rules and etc. We tested out of the running unit in Feb. Using our gym treadmill, Coach's Eye vid and coach sig. we verified the performance. During the travel meets they were allowed to present vids of routines for grade. During the couple weeks, March/April, during the run-up to State/Regions they were allowed to do written assignments and submit vids of their competed routines. They were recognized in the class, respectfully treated and enjoyed the class. As we neared the end of the year I had the girls send a Thank You card to the Phy Ed teacher and AD.

Now above aside, do not get me started on sharing an athlete with a MS or HS track program. Fraught with injury and rehab. has been my limited experience.

EJ, I suggest you involve the gymnastics coach or business owner in your quest for consideration of your gymnast. Even if nothing comes of it, the coach/business will be better prepared to anticipate for your everyday athlete.

Best, SBG -
 

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