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State Representative Bob Dettmer
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4124
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
NEWS COLUMN
KEEPING MINNESOTA CHILDREN ACTIVE AND HEALTHY
By Bob Dettmer
State Representative
District 52A
St. Paul, MN—As an educator and wrestling coach for more than 30 years, I know the importance of staying active and physically fit. With all the distractions our children face today I feel we must educate them on the value of staying active and healthy. I have co-authored a bill designed to promote healthier kids through better physical education in our schools.
Currently Minnesota does not have physical education standards, but this bill would adopt the standards developed by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education to serve as a guideline for our schools. The Department of Education would encourage schools districts to adopt these standards as guidelines for quality recess and other physical education practices that would increase student activity levels and build social skills.
I want to point out that this is not another mandate we are pushing on our schools. I think too often the state oversteps its bounds when it comes to educating our children, and the folks in St. Paul shouldn’t make decisions better left to the people in Forest Lake. This bill just sets up standards for the state and encourages school districts to adopt them if they so choose.
If Minnesota adopts standards we will have more federal education money available to us. Every year the federal government gives out millions of dollars in Physical Education Program (PEP) grants. Last year Wisconsin received approximately $4.5 million in PEP grants, but currently Minnesota isn’t eligible for any of this money because we lack state standards.
Forty years ago it would seem crazy that we might have difficulties getting our children to play and be active. With the increased prevalence of fast food and the rise of video games and the Internet, it is getting harder and harder to encourage our kids to eat right and get off the couch. This bill also attempts to inspire children to live a healthier lifestyle by setting up a healthy kid awards program in our school districts.
The program encourages students, kindergarten through grade 12, to be healthier by rewarding them for good nutrition and being physically active every day. It also encourages incorporating physical activity in the classroom, recess and extracurricular activities throughout the day. Schools choosing to participate in the program also receive incentives if 75 percent of students reach the goal of being physically active for 60 minutes daily.
According to a study released in January from the American Medical Association, 33.8 percent of American adults are obese and 68 percent are overweight. We can start to reverse this trend by promoting better physical education in our schools. Equipping our children with the knowledge of how to eat healthy and stay in shape will help them lead longer, fuller lives. The bill is currently being heard in committee and so far has received bipartisan support. It is my hope that this bill will be a step in the right direction toward a healthier Minnesota.
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