WAG Overzealous Middle School PE Teacher

[2G1B]

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.

My thought is that there could be some medical reason why the kid couldn't run the distances that this PE teacher is requiring. In actuality, I don't think that a 504 plan should be needed in this situation because any sane adult should see that these requirements are absurd, not just for gymnasts; but for most kids (who aren't distance runners). Ideally, I would think that getting the parents, administrators, teachers, etc into a room to discuss it would mean that someone from the school would start to see that this system simply doesn't make sense and that a 504 plan isn't needed, rather a bit of common sense would fix everything.

 

[ginnymac]

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.

Actually, this is not entirely correct. Unrelated to this specific topic, there exist many medical conditions/situations in which a high level, optional gymnast would have a 504 plan. Without getting into too much detail, an example would be a gymnast with asthma. Asthma is a condition clearly eligible for a 504, no matter what level competitor in any sport.

Just my 2 cents. And this particular running in PE class is outrageous.

 

[profmom]

I'm thinking Severs is a pretty clear counterindication; likewise Achilles tendonitis or tendonosis.

 

[momnipotent]

Actually, this is not entirely correct. Unrelated to this specific topic, there exist many medical conditions/situations in which a high level, optional gymnast would have a 504 plan. Without getting into too much detail, an example would be a gymnast with asthma. Asthma is a condition clearly eligible for a 504, no matter what level competitor in any sport.

Just my 2 cents. And this particular running in PE class is outrageous.

Thank you-you make a good point, I didn't mean to insinuate that no high level gymnast would be eligible for a 504 plan but was speaking more specifically to this case, which I realize I was completely unclear about. In this example, asthma is a chronic, long-term condition that could substantially limit their ability to participate in general education because of the potential for repeated absences due to breathing difficulty. The 504 would not be written as an excuse for PE only, although that would certainly be included in the 504.

While I agree that Sever's, achilles tendinosis, or osgood schlatter should be conditions that warrant a doctor's excuse from PE where the student should be excused from certain activities, all would be considered short-term diseases/injuries and would not prevent the student from participating in general education as absences from the entire school day would be uncommon, which would exclude them all in this case. I also believe you would have a hard time arguing that any of these is so severe the student can't run, but can participate in high level gymnastics, which was the point I was trying to make upthread.

I do agree that the running in this particular PE class is outrageous, but if you can't get the principal and PE teacher to sit down with you for a meeting without requesting a 504, something is seriously wrong and I would call the school district/superintendent to try to get them to step in and arrange a meeting before going the 504 route.

 

[raenndrops]

For anyone wanting to know if their child would pass the running test (it's not really about the time... but the movement of oxygen based on a formula)
Go here:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/pftresources.asp
and select "2014-15 PFT BMI and VO2max Calculator with Healthy Fitness Zones®" and download it.
Select the calculations tab at the bottom, then enter child's gender, height, weight, and play with the mile times to see what they need to run o be healthy (they give you the "healthy" score, and your child has to be higher than that score - in the blue area). It will also give you the healthy BMI and you are supposed to want your child to be below that.

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

For anyone wanting to know if their child would pass the running test (it's not really about the time... but the movement of oxygen based on a formula)
Go here:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/pftresources.asp
and select "2014-15 PFT BMI and VO2max Calculator with Healthy Fitness Zones®" and download it.
Select the calculations tab at the bottom, then enter child's gender, height, weight, and play with the mile times to see what they need to run o be healthy (they give you the "healthy" score, and your child has to be higher than that score - in the blue area). It will also give you the healthy BMI and you are supposed to want your child to be below that.

Are you saying the letter grades are being based partially on a child's BMI and lung function? Please tell me i am reading your post wrong!

 

[MILgymFAM]

Are you saying the letter grades are being based partially on a child's BMI and lung function? Please tell me i am reading your post wrong!

You are correct, unfortunately. I hated that my YDD had to run so much faster than my ODD, just because she was heavier. The kids knew and knew it wasn't fair.

 

[gymmomx2]

You are correct, unfortunately. I hated that my YDD had to run so much faster than my ODD, just because she was heavier. The kids knew and knew it wasn't fair.

This is all kinds of wrong!!!!! Who are these people who are creating these standards??????

 

[gwenmom]

You are correct, unfortunately. I hated that my YDD had to run so much faster than my ODD, just because she was heavier. The kids knew and knew it wasn't fair.

That is just wrong. Because according to BMI, DD is morbidly obese! She tiny and muscle packed with six pack and arms that would make Michelle Obama jealous, just like most of our gymmies. BMI makes me mad.

 

[cbifoja]

Bms is not appropriate for athletes. I could tell you a sad story when little girls listen to ignorant PE coaches on this topic.

 

[sce]

Bms is not appropriate for athletes. I could tell you a sad story when little girls listen to ignorant PE coaches on this topic.

I totally agree, my ds' BMI is on the verge of obese. But he has no fat on his body!

 

[wh/gh]

In my school, we had twice-a-week cardio sessions where you had to maintain a heart rate of 140 bpm for 40 minutes to get an A (30 minutes to get a B, etc). The idea, I think, was to make the grade correlate with effort rather than ability. But it wound up being very difficult for athletes since it was much harder for us to get our heart rate up to 140 in the time allotted. The activities that worked best for me (running and jump rope) were not sustainable for long periods of time since I already suffered from knee and ankle problems, as many gymnasts do. So my report card, which was all As, was complemented by Ds in P.E. (luckily, it did not feed into my GPA). This system also meant that I was exercising for 6 hours on certain days. My knees hurt just thinking about it.

 

[Rose7777]

To add to what a previous poster said, a 504 plan is for a student who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits his or her ability to participate in one or more major life activities (eating, breathing, learning, reading, thinking, caring for oneself, etc). It is a civil rights protection for students who have a disability to ensure that they have the same access to educational activities as their non disabled peers- not something to be used lightly.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

No idea how you deal with that, but that is CRAZY. I probably would get her medically excused from gym for the year. She does plenty of phys ed.

YES! this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[munchkin3]

I know several male and female gymnasts who have received 'fat' letters from the school board.....the truth is, very few people in the school system truly understand how competitive gymnasts train. ESPECIALLY the PE teachers......I opted out the second I heard that cup stacking was part of the PE lesson plan.

 

[coach1234]

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?

We have a boy who is currently taking his GCSE's who is in GB squad and travels 2 hours each way to train at our club, his school are really good about it and let him miss core PE to catch up on lessons he has missed as he leaves school early everyday to get to training, he does do GCSE PE. Though which might be why he is allowed to miss core PE? But he is the only child I have EVER come a cross who has been allowed to miss PE to catch up on work and missed lessons

 

[emilykatherine]

I know several male and female gymnasts who have received 'fat' letters from the school board.....the truth is, very few people in the school system truly understand how competitive gymnasts train. ESPECIALLY the PE teachers......I opted out the second I heard that cup stacking was part of the PE lesson plan.

I got these. Finally my mom told them that it was ridiculous mid that she didn't want me doing pe again. That was middle school. At my old school in pe all we ever did was walk in circles. I've had regular teachers that have been gymnast but my pe teachers have never.

 

[rjb123]

Can you just go to your ortho? DD's ortho is fabulous- he literally wrote a note that said "no PE for the duration of gymnastics career". LOL. He swears that PE is far more dangerous than anything she will ever do in the gym.

 

[Seeker]

Can you just go to your ortho? DD's ortho is fabulous- he literally wrote a note that said "no PE for the duration of gymnastics career". LOL. He swears that PE is far more dangerous than anything she will ever do in the gym.

I fully, 100% agree with this!!

 

[gymdog]

Bms is not appropriate for athletes. I could tell you a sad story when little girls listen to ignorant PE coaches on this topic.

As far as I know, it was never designed to be used for children at all.