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March 9, 2005

Save our children from becoming fat! Write a law mandating gym class!

"A parade of students, doctors, and health officials" in Oregon is lobbying that state's legislature to mandate more physical education, reports the Oregonian. "I recently heard a statistic that still stuns me: For the first time in our history, our children are not expected to live as long as their parents," the paper quotes the state senate president, speaking before the senate education committee. We love that one: He heard a statistic! From such great minds come great laws. Right? Two of Oregon's largest education organizations said they support the concept of the bill but are concerned there is no money in the budget to pay for it. Schools have had more mandates piled on them by state and federal government, without the money to get them done, says David Williams, a lobbyist for the Oregon School Boards Association.

"Schools have had to choose," Williams told the Oregonian. "Unfortunately, in some cases physical education has fallen by the wayside." Laurie Wimmer Whelan of the Oregon Education Association said the first business of the legislature should be to protect schools from any further cuts than those they have endured in the past few years. Obesity is receiving intense focus from America's school boards, who are hunting for funding for programs, adjusting their school lunches, and making this issue a priority. Indeed, NSBA's upcoming annual conference will feature several sessions to help school boards sort out the obesity issue. But do these boards need more mandates?

Here's a statistic WE heard: More laws, more demands, less funding. America's state legislatures need to step up and lead.

Posted March 9, 2005 12:00 AM