Eliminating high school PE requirement if you play on a high school team sport?

[Anonymous]

DCPS currently requires three semesters of PE in high school. This seems like a huge waste of an elective space to me (and my kiddo). Kid would rather take a different elective - not a year and a half of PE! Kid plays on two high school varsity sports each school year. My question is this - why won't DCPS accept playing on a high school team as a credit for PE? Who would be the person to lobby on this point at HQ? Seems like a low-hanging fruit policy that is ripe for change .. . .

[Anonymous]

I think this makes a lot of sense and would gladly support this change. My high school in FCPS required PE for two years and also didn’t accept varsity sports as a substitute. This was back in the day, so I don’t know if they have changed the policy.

[Anonymous]

If you do it for some, do it for all. Don’t give one group an advantage the others don’t get.

[Anonymous]

FWIW - I know you're asking about DCPS, but as a point of reference, this is effectively what Latin does (starting in 7th grade). Kids take PE in 5th and 6th, and then, starting in 7th, have a sports requirement that can be satisfied either through a varsity/JV sport or a wellness class (wellness classes include things like yoga and weightlifting). If you take part in a activity outside of school (for example I know people who are part of a sailing team and people who are involved with ballet) it's possible to get a waiver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you do it for some, do it for all. Don’t give one group an advantage the others don’t get.

What does this mean? My proposal is that anyone who plays a high school team sport gets a semester credit for PE. But if you don't play a high school team sport you have to take PE. Do you have a problem with this?

[Anonymous]

There are parents with unathletic kids who get all worked up about anything that seems to favor athletes.
But by the same token, being in band or choir could count as a music credit too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you do it for some, do it for all. Don’t give one group an advantage the others don’t get.

What does this mean? My proposal is that anyone who plays a high school team sport gets a semester credit for PE. But if you don't play a high school team sport you have to take PE. Do you have a problem with this?

(Why so aggressive?)

“Kid would rather take a different elective.”

Taking a different elective like another AP class that strengthens their college applications? Like that?

How many kids do you think would rather take a different elective? How many do you think are involved in sports and other extracurriculars outside of school?

Why should the basketball/football/whatever team get the opportunity take a different elective? What makes them special?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW - I know you're asking about DCPS, but as a point of reference, this is effectively what Latin does (starting in 7th grade). Kids take PE in 5th and 6th, and then, starting in 7th, have a sports requirement that can be satisfied either through a varsity/JV sport or a wellness class (wellness classes include things like yoga and weightlifting). If you take part in a activity outside of school (for example I know people who are part of a sailing team and people who are involved with ballet) it's possible to get a waiver.

This is so enlightened!! I wish every school system did the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are parents with unathletic kids who get all worked up about anything that seems to favor athletes.
But by the same token, being in band or choir could count as a music credit too.

Such a tired argument.

My kids are plenty athletic yet I am still able to see this as the unfair advantage it would be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW - I know you're asking about DCPS, but as a point of reference, this is effectively what Latin does (starting in 7th grade). Kids take PE in 5th and 6th, and then, starting in 7th, have a sports requirement that can be satisfied either through a varsity/JV sport or a wellness class (wellness classes include things like yoga and weightlifting). If you take part in a activity outside of school (for example I know people who are part of a sailing team and people who are involved with ballet) it's possible to get a waiver.

This is so enlightened!! I wish every school system did the same.

Agree.

Though why not just eliminate the requirement since getting a waiver is so easy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are parents with unathletic kids who get all worked up about anything that seems to favor athletes.
But by the same token, being in band or choir could count as a music credit too.

Back in the early 90's my private high school waived PE, typing and speech class if you were in the band. Looking back it seems ridiculous that the kids playing sports still took PE but the band kids didn't. It was probably a way to get unathletic kids to join the band. Band also satisfied the music class requirement in 11/12 grades.

The challenge with allowing school sports to count is all of the kids who are active in a sport that the school doesn't offer so they have to participate elsewhere. Do they get a waiver as well?

[Anonymous]

My club soccer team (ODP, I am that old) was very clear that you couldn’t play high school soccer, and I think that’s fairly common here. I personally loved PE, but would have loved a waiver even more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are parents with unathletic kids who get all worked up about anything that seems to favor athletes.
But by the same token, being in band or choir could count as a music credit too.

Back in the early 90's my private high school waived PE, typing and speech class if you were in the band. Looking back it seems ridiculous that the kids playing sports still took PE but the band kids didn't. It was probably a way to get unathletic kids to join the band. Band also satisfied the music class requirement in 11/12 grades.

The challenge with allowing school sports to count is all of the kids who are active in a sport that the school doesn't offer so they have to participate elsewhere. Do they get a waiver as well?

Hit enter too soon. Our ds attends a Catholic high school in PA and everyone takes PE every year. But their twist on it is that the teacher will offer different activities and teach them, but anyone is welcome to opt out and choose walking instead. The walkers either walk the outside track or around the edge of the gym. While walking you are allowed to have your phone to listen to music/audio books. My non athletic son gets 40 min of walking a day and finds every assigned lit book on audio. It has been such a win/win for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you do it for some, do it for all. Don’t give one group an advantage the others don’t get.

What does this mean? My proposal is that anyone who plays a high school team sport gets a semester credit for PE. But if you don't play a high school team sport you have to take PE. Do you have a problem with this?

(Why so aggressive?)

“Kid would rather take a different elective.”

Taking a different elective like another AP class that strengthens their college applications? Like that?

How many kids do you think would rather take a different elective? How many do you think are involved in sports and other extracurriculars outside of school?

Why should the basketball/football/whatever team get the opportunity take a different elective? What makes them special?

If someone can successfully complete a full courseload, a varsity/JV sport, and then (by opting out of PE) an additional AP class? More power to them, I say.

But this is DCPS, and if people star squawking about fairness, it will never get done.

Would you be satisfied if the kids could get the PE credit but not enroll in another class — i.e., do study hall or something? Students on varsity/JV sports spend a lot of extracurricular time doing it, which obviously cuts into time that they could spend on homework or other pursuits. A system like this could give them at least some of that time back, by freeing up their duplicative PE period. Which would make things more fair!

[Anonymous]

Our DC private no longer has PE- you play a sport or outside physical activity or you can join an exercise or lifting program.