WAG Overzealous Middle School PE Teacher

[MAcastsalot]

I was coming to post the link to the standards, but they were posted already. With standards based education, assessments are supposed to accurately assess degree of mastery of the standard. They can certainly fit running into several of the standards, but I didn't see any standard where requiring a certain time on the run would be the appropriate assessment. Furthermore, anyone with running experience knows that speed does not necessarily equal fitness level. I can get outside and crank out six miles, but I can't even get the first mile under 8:30, but have friends who can run a fast mile and can't go much farther than that. If they won't work with you because they don't want to make an exception for your daughter, maybe you can challenge their assessments of the PE standards.

 

[twinmomma]

While I don't have any advice, I'm thankful this has been posted because this isn't even something I had on my radar as a possible issue. DD is only in the 3rd grade (well, for one more day anyway) but I'm definitely going to be prepared should I have to start fighting the PE issue.

 

[Dka]

My dd is also in sixth grade and will be a level 9 next year. In her school she has to run timed miles on weds and Friday. She is the fastest in her class and likes it. She runs a 6:30 without practice.I am a runner and would never allow her to run 3.5 in a gym class, that sounds like way too much. A timed mile I think is fine. The lines of communication are always open, and if she is hurting or anything, the physical education teacher will let her time her classmates. I think you need to speak to the teacher or her supervisor. My husband and I are both teachers ( not gym) and we have never heard of a gym class that makes middle schoolers run 3.5 miles a day...

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I myself have gotten involved, the school board could care less.... Its like pushing a rope.

Depends on the school board

 

[Vivianflips]

All that running is craziness! Here in FL you can have your parents sign a form saying you do an extracurricular sport and they'll exempt you from PE! No questions asked! That's what I did in 6th grade (this was before I did gymnastics, I was a swimmer at the time). I'd get a big fat F if I had to run that much, not to mention a weekly trip to the nurses office (I over heat VERY easily, it's been an issue since I was little)!

 

[bookworm]

Well if she wants to do gym in college, she'll be all set! College teams have them run X number of miles as a matter of course when the most running they do as a gymnast is on the vault runway...

 

[Gymdancer]

You might look carefully into a 504. A 504 allows the parent to collaborate with the school to meet a child's needs that are not currently being met. Accommodations are set and monitored. Many schools will not necessarily want this because it requires a lot of documentation and staff time. It is there to meet the unmet needs. There is more to it than that, and you need to read up on it before you decide if it is a course you could take. I have found more attentive listening when a 504 is presented as an option in earnest.

 

[2G1B]

It is possible that even them serious mention of a 504 will get the school to work with you. It does mean more paperwork for them and at least yearly meetings to go over it. I suggested one for my DD this year because she was having a lot of medical tests done and I knew that she would miss more days of school than is allowed. Even though all would be excused (except one for a meet), the policy is still that you have to deal with letters and usually truancy court for as many absences as my DD had.

Our school is pretty awesome, and I could never see them doing what you are dealing with (though, we are elementary, who knows what middle is like); but the absence stuff is generally something that they just have to do per "rules".

I suggested a medical 504 due to the medical tests and they pointed out that she was always able to make up the work and never got behind in school. I told them that I felt certain that she wouldn't have any academic issues due to her absences; but that I didn't want to deal with truancy court. The principal told me that she would handle that part of things. Sure enough, I never got a "robo call", a letter, NOTHING telling me how much school my DD had missed. I don't know what the school did to handle it; but they absolutely did. I'm sure that part of it was that the administration at our school is awesome and saw that there should be no reason for us to have to deal with the bureaucracy; but I also think that they didn't want to have to deal with a 504 plan for a kid who really just needed some common sense applied rather than more red tape to deal with.

 

[2G1B]

Also, if you don't get any resolution from the local school or the district school board, go to the state school board. This is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[xxStumpyxx]

At many school systems, if gymnastics isn't an offered physical education activity, you can use the hours she there in place of PE. So, in our school district, they allow optional gymnasts to come late to school (while attending morning gym hours) during what would typically be their PE time. The rest of the school day is as normal. Wonder if that's an option you can discuss with superintendent?

I wonder if you can opt out PE at Secodary School (High School) in the UK and use the time for study time to catch up on homework etc if you do Gymnastics 3+ times a week?

 

[COz]

My guess is that all the running and requiring them to keep running/walking is simply so the teacher doesn't have to 'teach' the kids.

 

[wallinbl]

All that running is craziness! Here in FL you can have your parents sign a form saying you do an extracurricular sport and they'll exempt you from PE! No questions asked! That's what I did in 6th grade (this was before I did gymnastics, I was a swimmer at the time). I'd get a big fat F if I had to run that much, not to mention a weekly trip to the nurses office (I over heat VERY easily, it's been an issue since I was little)!

It's county by county in Florida. DD had to keep a daily log of what she did for how long in gymnastics practice and turn it in to get PE credit. We opted not to exempt PE, as that would have required filling the schedule with another class.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

I wonder if you can opt out PE at Secodary School (High School) in the UK and use the time for study time to catch up on homework etc if you do Gymnastics 3+ times a week?

Nope

 

[Ruth]

Great material for newspaper!

 

[raenndrops]

Great material for newspaper!

Or a local news piece...

 

[sce]

They can certainly fit running into several of the standards, but I didn't see any standard where requiring a certain time on the run would be the appropriate assessment. Furthermore, anyone with running experience knows that speed does not necessarily equal fitness level.

There is a fitness test in 5th and 7th grade. On this test there is a 1 mile run. There is a minimum time for passing the test. So in that sense, they are being trained for the test. Now the weekly 2.5+ mile run and making them make up missed runs, that's a whole other issue.

 

[MAcastsalot]

Is it in the standards that they must do a mile in a certain amount of time for 5th and 7th grade? Even if it is, giving letter grades based on speed is pretty ridiculous, IMO.

 

[sce]

Is it in the standards that they must do a mile in a certain amount of time for 5th and 7th grade? Even if it is, giving letter grades based on speed is pretty ridiculous, IMO.

I don't know if it's in the standards. This is the test: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/

I agree about the grades.

 

[Tbrov]

I also live in CA, and we have fought the PE fight in our local middle schools. It was hard and took a two years to get straightened out, but our gym has numerous optional gymnasts in middle school, so we all teamed up. Finally, 2 of the 3 middle schools in our district now let gymnasts have a modified schedule, taking only the 4 core classes in the morning (English, science, math, history; no PE or elective) and leave school during lunch time. You still have to jump through some hoops; to get into one of the 2 schools that offer this and get in touch with the right counselor for approval, but now the precedence is set so the younger girls will be able to do the same when they reach middle school. It was all about being persistent and getting to speak to the right people - the ones who could actually make a decision. And it seemed to be all or nothing; meaning it was more difficult to work with individual PE teachers and easier to just get out of the class completely.

 

[momnipotent]

I think there is a huge misunderstanding of 504 plans here. A currently practicing/competing gymnast would not be eligible for a 504 plan because if they are still able to train and compete gymnastics, their impairment doesn't substantially limit any life functions and is not a chronic or long-term condition. It also doesn't substantially limit their ability to participate in general education, all of which are criteria required for a student to be eligible for a 504 plan. I would ask for the principal and PE teacher to sit down in a meeting with you to discuss what can be done for your daughter and go from there. I will also mention that a lot of times the parents who complain to the district do eventually get what they want.