New York City Council has joined our fight to improve Physical Education in New York City!
At their Stated Meeting on February 12th, legislation was introduced that will help to improve the transparency of how schools are (or are not) complying with the state's PE requirements. The Council's introduction will create a reporting mechanism whereby a school will have to share the framework of their PE program, and that information will be provided publicly to parents, advocates and groups like the American Heart Association. This data can help us gain a better understanding regarding the obstacles faced on the way to compliance with state law.
You may remember that the AHA's Advocacy Committee coordinated a research project a couple of years ago, in an effort to clarify the status of PE in our city's schools. The survey looked at how often PE was offered to students, the length of time for each class, as well as other indicators of a quality PE curriculum. You can review the report here: http://bit.ly/Xpms2B
Our research was referenced heavily throughout the press event that announced the legislation. In fact, this graphic showing our results was displayed to highlight the inequity that exists among neighborhoods regarding PE compliance:
Our concern is this...as long as schools are allowed to ignore the state laws regarding PE, this disparity will persist. Without quality PE, a student cannot be guaranteed an opportunity to embrace the value of sustained, physical activity which is pivotal for long-term cardiovascular health. If we truly want to address health equity in NYC, then physical education must be a priority for every school!
Thanks to Council Members Crowley, Rosenthal, Johnson and Dromm for their early support of this pivotal issue. With their help, we will achieve our goal...#PE4All
If you haven't already done so, please take action via this link (and please share it widely with all New Yorkers!) We need your help to gain more Council sponsors in the weeks ahead: http://yourethecure.org/aha/advocacy/composeletters.aspx?AlertID=36148
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