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Gov. Crist makes his pitch to put PE back in schools
He wants to spend $1.2-million next year to promote fitness.
By LETITIA STEIN
Published March 27, 2007
TAMPA - Gov. Charlie Crist's inner health nut was in high gear Monday when he bounced off a plane here at lunchtime. He needed a pick-me-up, so he made a quick stop at Athenos on S Dale Mabry Highway, where he ordered a strawberry-banana smoothie. "Real fruit," he later boasted to reporters. Then he made a detour to Legends Field, where he threw out the first pitch at a New York Yankees spring training game. "It happened to be a strike," he said, "by the grace of God alone." Then, finally, came his news conference about the importance of physical education classes in Florida schools - the actual reason for his Tampa visit. Crist called for a return of daily PE classes, starting with students in kindergarten through fifth grade. He said he wants kids to experience the activities he remembers from his childhood PE classes at Bay Vista Elementary in St. Petersburg. "What state's prettier to enjoy the outdoors, to go kayaking, to jog, to swim?" said Crist, a self-professed fitness addict whose regimen includes 20 laps in a pool every morning before dawn. Crist said he is creating a Governor's Council on Physical Fitness. He tapped Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks to chair the group, which will try to reduce the number of Floridians with chronic problems related to obesity. Change won't come overnight. In Hillsborough, elementary school students take physical education twice a week. In middle school, it's an elective. High school students need a single credit in fitness and health. District physical education supervisor Steve Vanoer is eager to do more. But he worries about having to double or triple the size of PE classes if he can't afford more teachers. Crist has proposed spending $1.2-million next year to promote health and nutrition. He isn't interested in hearing excuses about money. "It's nominal," he said of the expense. "How much is it costing us, and more importantly our young people, not to be encouraging them?" On the web Learn about Gov. Crist's initiative at www.healthy floridians.com.
[Last modified March 27, 2007, 00:39:38]
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by Ann
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12/15/07 12:00 PM
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Children need 10 or 15 minute recess, just so they can run and use all that pent up energy.
Yes, also P.E. should be put back in the schools, hello we are so health conscience so we take away exercise.
PLEASE SAY YES TO RECESS AND P.E.!!!!
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by Candace
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08/14/07 09:13 AM
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Physical education in the 1950's and 60's
was a subject. We got a grade. We had softball, volleyball, archery, square dancing. We sweated. There were very few obese students. Go to Cracker Barrel. Look around. We better do something soon.
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by BigBelly
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03/27/07 04:39 PM
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Serious students aren't into PE.
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by christina
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03/27/07 09:19 AM
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wonderful idea the kids are so fat that the future health of america will be at risk.start now and encourage the next generation to be healthy.but we must lead be example ,so parents start at home and get off couch and start walking /your kids now!
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by jim
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03/27/07 08:52 AM
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What a crock. Most PE "teachers" trow out a ball and lean against the wall sipping coffee. There are also a myriad of other problems associated with "mandatory" PE in schools. PE in schools is a joke.
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