Prepared Text for Board Meeting –
Marc A. Schare
First, I want to thank the
administrators for their hard work on this issue. These comments in no way
reflect on their effort or their professionalism. This is truly an issue where
there are two sides and it is easy to see either side.
SB311 allows boards of
education to grant an exemption to athletes who have completed two semesters of
sports.
In refusing to grant the
exemption, we have to believe that all of the following are true.
1.
The importance of
Physical Education rises to a level that we put Math, English, History, Science
and other required classes.
2.
The “Education”
involved in Physical Education is not obtained in two seasons of participation
in athletics, marching band or cheerleading
3.
Two semesters of
Physical Education are more important than every other possible elective that
the student could take given the time constraints of a high school schedule.
In making their case, the
administration highlights the importance of a lifetime of wellness and physical
fitness. While I might quibble over whether a lifetime of wellness and physical
fitness would follow from a semester of Yoga or other offerings from our
physical education curriculum, I concede the point. What I question is why a
lifetime of wellness would be more important than a lifetime of music, a
lifetime of art, a lifetime of financial literacy, a lifetime of law and yes,
even a lifetime of computer science, especially for those students who have
already demonstrated a predisposition to physical fitness via their
participation in two seasons of sports, marching band or cheerleading.
There are other possible
benefits to granting the exemption. There could be a financial benefit in
making funds available to our high school reform initiatives, a
We have embarked on a new
era in
There have been other
arguments against the exemption. What happens if a student gets cut or injured. The ORC is very clear.
Two full seasons of participation would have to have been completed before the exemption could be granted. This implies that if a student was cut, injured or otherwise failed to complete two full seasons, the exemption would not apply.
I would like to hear from the community on this issue before we act on this recommendation. Does physical education rise to the level of importance that it should be required even for athletes who have completed two seasons or should we grant an exemption and allow (but never require) athletes to use their high school time to subjects that are of more importance to the individual student.
3313.603(L) Notwithstanding anything
to the contrary in this section, the board of education of each school district
and the governing authority of each chartered nonpublic school may adopt a
policy to excuse from the high school physical education requirement each
student who, during high school, has participated in interscholastic athletics,
marching band, or cheerleading for at least two full seasons. If the board or
authority adopts such a policy, the board or authority shall not require the
student to complete any physical education course as a condition to graduate.
However, the student shall be required to complete one-half unit, consisting of
at least sixty hours of instruction, in another course of study.