The sad state of PE in MCPS

[Anonymous]

The state of PE at my kids' DCC high school is depressing. Many kids don't change. They walk around on their cell phones and just hang out. The PE teachers don't care and none of the kids actually learn how to play sports.

This is NOT what my experience was like as a kid in MCPS. You were required to change for PE and if you didn't change or participate, it impacted your grade. I was exposed to a wide array of sports including, volleyball, badminton, fencing, tennis, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, baseball, kickball, gymnastics, track and field, etc.

All for free and through MCPS and through my PE class. I didn't do sports as an extracurricular.

If PE is not going to be taken seriously, and if kids aren't going to be required to be physically active and engaged in the class, then why should it even be required?

Who's to blame for this mess?

[Anonymous]

Meh... my kid isn't into sports except one. They do it outside MCPS and get plenty of exercise. They don't need that nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Agreed, OP! Do it or don’t do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meh... my kid isn't into sports except one. They do it outside MCPS and get plenty of exercise. They don't need that nonsense.

Good for you, I guess.

Meanwhile, Maryland has the 10th highest childhood obesity rate in the country: https://www.mymcmedia.org/maryland-has-10th-highest-childhood-obesity-rate-in-u-s/#:~:text=In%20Montgomery%20County%2C%20the%20obesity,the%20Youth%20Risk%20Behavior%20Study.

Wonder if getting them to actually exercise during PE might help?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh... my kid isn't into sports except one. They do it outside MCPS and get plenty of exercise. They don't need that nonsense.

Good for you, I guess.

Meanwhile, Maryland has the 10th highest childhood obesity rate in the country: https://www.mymcmedia.org/maryland-has-10th-highest-childhood-obesity-rate-in-u-s/#:~:text=In%20Montgomery%20County%2C%20the%20obesity,the%20Youth%20Risk%20Behavior%20Study.

Wonder if getting them to actually exercise during PE might help?

Doubt it but MCPS could start with healthier lunches.

[Anonymous]

What do you know? A Washington Post columnist just published an article on this very topic last year:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/06/05/physical-education-classes-schools/

I didn’t like daily high school physical education classes. I was a poor athlete. I made the tennis team but lost every match against opponents from other schools. I would have preferred anything to P.E. exercises.

Many classmates shared my view. But I didn’t realize until lately that our anti-P.E. bias has come to rule our education system.

In her delightful new book “You Are Your Own Best Teacher!: Sparking the Curiosity, Imagination, and Intellect of Tweens,” social scientist Claire Nader offers startling statistics. Decades ago, daily P.E. was the norm. These days, she said, only 4 percent of elementary schools, 7 percent of middle schools and 2 percent of high schools have daily P.E. the entire school year. Twenty-two percent of schools have no P.E. at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh... my kid isn't into sports except one. They do it outside MCPS and get plenty of exercise. They don't need that nonsense.

Good for you, I guess.

Meanwhile, Maryland has the 10th highest childhood obesity rate in the country: https://www.mymcmedia.org/maryland-has-10th-highest-childhood-obesity-rate-in-u-s/#:~:text=In%20Montgomery%20County%2C%20the%20obesity,the%20Youth%20Risk%20Behavior%20Study.

Wonder if getting them to actually exercise during PE might help?

Doubt it but MCPS could start with healthier lunches.

My kids would prefer they be edible first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh... my kid isn't into sports except one. They do it outside MCPS and get plenty of exercise. They don't need that nonsense.

Good for you, I guess.

Meanwhile, Maryland has the 10th highest childhood obesity rate in the country: https://www.mymcmedia.org/maryland-has-10th-highest-childhood-obesity-rate-in-u-s/#:~:text=In%20Montgomery%20County%2C%20the%20obesity,the%20Youth%20Risk%20Behavior%20Study.

Wonder if getting them to actually exercise during PE might help?

Doubt it but MCPS could start with healthier lunches.

My kids would prefer they be edible first.

True.

[Anonymous]

I got curious and looked up MCPS's current description of PE and I found their curriculum and grading policy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w6I5rIx3H3WSY4d9XRtj8Gu69SEhrDVA/view

Assessment of Grade-Level Outcomes in High School Physical Education
In an effort to establish consistent grading guidelines the following skill proficiency continuum was
developed. As a reminder, assessment is based on student performance related to specific outcomes and
objectives and not based on effort, behavior, specific clothing, or criteria that is not aligned with
the State framework. Students should be made aware of the specific criteria for success prior to
assessment and all aspects of the objective must be explicitly taught within class.

● Pre-assessments or pre-tests should not be recorded in the gradebook but should be used as a
baseline for improvement.
● Many of the high school grade-level outcomes require opportunity for students to work to mastery
of concepts, skills, and academic language.
● Single opportunities for students to show mastery of content should be avoided and students
should be given multiple and varied opportunities to meet the criteria of success.

I guess this answers my question on why kids don't get penalized for not changing anymore. But wow, your effort and behavior have no impact on your grade in a PHYSICAL EDUCATION class?

Do present-day PE teachers like this? Is this what they want?

[Anonymous]

What is the obsession with changing? We'd rarely bring our clothing home they stunk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the obsession with changing? We'd rarely bring our clothing home they stunk.

I just don't think you can genuinely practice a sport in your ripped denim jeans and Timberland work boots. Do you?

[Anonymous]

Interesting idea from a Whitman student: Count student athletics as P.E. credit: https://theblackandwhite.net/64647/opinion/mcps-qualify-school-sports-as-p-e-credits/

The main point of a P.E. credit is so students can exercise, so for student athletes, this requirement isn’t only excessive, but also unnecessary—they already spend countless hours exercising outside of school with their respective sports teams. Student Member of the Board elect Nate Tinbite proposed removing the P.E. credit requirement for athletes who play on a school sports team. MCPS should adopt this policy and qualify two or more seasons of school sports as a P.E. credit, so students have adequate time in school to pursue their interests and take other classes.

Eliminating the P.E. requirement for student athletes allows student athletes to explore other topics of interest. The average Whitman athlete spends around two hours at practice for five to six days a week. With more time to delve into new subjects and classes, student athletes can become more well-rounded individuals instead of spending most of their time exercising.

If student athletes are exempt from the credit, each gym class will have fewer students. Teachers will be able to give students increased attention and instruction—especially to those who aren’t as athletic. In addition, students won’t need to substitute out as frequently, making students active for longer periods of time and each class more productive.

Makes sense to me. I bet no one on the BoE or at MCPS has ever even considered this idea....

[Anonymous]

I personally hated PE and am surprised that there are some who are advocates of it.

My ES kids enjoy it, so I’m fine with it for ES. Starting in MS, I think they should either replace it with a mental health break/study hall/recess. If trey insist on PE, kids who attest that they exercise should be excused.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting idea from a Whitman student: Count student athletics as P.E. credit: https://theblackandwhite.net/64647/opinion/mcps-qualify-school-sports-as-p-e-credits/

The main point of a P.E. credit is so students can exercise, so for student athletes, this requirement isn’t only excessive, but also unnecessary—they already spend countless hours exercising outside of school with their respective sports teams. Student Member of the Board elect Nate Tinbite proposed removing the P.E. credit requirement for athletes who play on a school sports team. MCPS should adopt this policy and qualify two or more seasons of school sports as a P.E. credit, so students have adequate time in school to pursue their interests and take other classes.

Eliminating the P.E. requirement for student athletes allows student athletes to explore other topics of interest. The average Whitman athlete spends around two hours at practice for five to six days a week. With more time to delve into new subjects and classes, student athletes can become more well-rounded individuals instead of spending most of their time exercising.

If student athletes are exempt from the credit, each gym class will have fewer students. Teachers will be able to give students increased attention and instruction—especially to those who aren’t as athletic. In addition, students won’t need to substitute out as frequently, making students active for longer periods of time and each class more productive.

Makes sense to me. I bet no one on the BoE or at MCPS has ever even considered this idea....

This is how it was wear I grew up. Athletics were the last period of the day. In the off season it was 45 minutes to run, during the season it extended another 2 hours of regular practice. It was every day, all year. Marching band was also that last period.

The downside is there were basically no classes for non athletes/musicians, because 75% of the school was otherwise engaged during that last class.

Not sure how it would work if it was only after school practices during the season. Maybe you could get a semester’s credit if you did a single sport?

[Anonymous]

My kids got their PE credit in their MCPS high school through classes like yoga and net sports. I'm not sure they were the most rigorous classes ever but my kids enjoyed them enough.