• Posted on Monday, October 6, 2008
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Florida schools cut corners on P.E. requirement, counting walk to lunch

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When the talk turns to physical education, several things probably come to mind: running, jumping jacks, team sports, sweat.

But walking to and from lunch?

No way, say state legislators and health experts, who were concerned that some schools were using the time it took to walk across campus to meet a state law that said elementary school kids need to have 150 minutes of physical education a week.

The law, which went into effect last year, did not specify how schools should fit those 2 ½ hours into days already crammed with reading, math and writing. So some took a creative approach, cobbling together minutes of stretching, recess and health talk in a given day.

''There were some really great things that went on,'' said Don Knitt, president of the Florida Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance and Sport. "And there were some interesting things that were not the intent of the bill.''

Read the complete story at miamiherald.com

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