Vital Step - Getting Administrator Buy-in

When you effectively demonstrate to administrators the benefits of quality physical education program, including evidence of improved academic performance, recruiting them as PE advocates becomes much easier. By showing how your vision can contribute to the overall school mission, you’ve begun to pave the way for implementation of your program. -- Excerpt from the PE4life Training Manual: Developing and Promoting Quality Physical Education

John Baker, physical education teacher at Hanawalt Elementary School in the Des Moines Public School District, is back to tell us how he engages his principal in his physical education class.

Tips for getting administrator support for your program:

Engage your administrator in conversation as often as possible.

Take time to educate your administrator on how quality physical education should look.

Show how your physical education program is important for the child’s health and ability to learn.

Have an open door policy with your administrators. Invite your them in to participate, not just during teacher evaluation time.

Mr. Baker’s Principal, Andrew Burg, describes his commitment to physical education as a viable part of their school.

Hanawalt Elementary has been selected as PE4life Model Site. If interested in visiting this school and learning more from Mr. Baker or Mr. Burg, consider putting a team together to attend a PE4life Implementation Workshop.

Here are some key resources for any administrator:

Book: SPARK – The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, by Dr. John Ratey
As a physical educator I have been looking for 30 years for a book like this to validate my profession. Dr. Ratey's book justifies everything done in a quality PE class. Best of all he explains the effects of exercise on the brain in an easy to understand manner. This book should become the bible for all physical educators. All PE teachers should purchase this book and give it to their administrators and school board members. -- Review from Tim McCord, Titusville Area School District, Titusville, PA

Purchase SPARK in the PE4life ProShop here.

Data supporting physical education:
Cooper Institute Study: Physically fit students more likely to do well in school; less likely to be disciplinary problems

More information from The Cooper Institute found here.

NASPE’s Superintendent and School Board Tool Kit

NASPE's Key Points of Quality PE

Overview of a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Plan

Most importantly, your administrator should take note that a quality PE Program includes PE4life's Core Principles:

Offer a variety of fitness, sport, leisure, and adventure activities to all students

Implement a K-12 standards-based curriculum

Provide a safe and encouraging learning environment

Utilize individual assessments

Incorporate current technology

Extend PE beyond the walls of the gymnasium

Ideally, be offered to every child every day

Physical Education Newsletters - GET ONE!

It’s imperative that you share updates about your program with your parents and community, and a newsletter is a great way to distribute that information. Here are some tips on getting your newsletter up and going.


Getting started:

• Before you even begin creating your newsletter, you should decide its frequency, purpose, and distribution method (eNewsletter vs. printed newsletter).
• Use Microsoft Word or Publisher (or whatever word processor you prefer) to find a template. There are dozens to choose from, just be sure to customize it with your school colors and logo.
  

What to include:

• Info about upcoming events, fundraisers, etc. Plus, recaps from past events.
• Your department's mission.
• Articles/research about physical education, physical activity, childhood obesity, technology, health, nutrition, etc. Follow PE4life on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest news in our field.
• Quotes from students about why your PE class is awesome.
• Guest post from other school faculty (parent, principal, school nurse, etc.).
• Call for support. Need volunteers in the gym? Help writing a grant? Now’s your time to ask.
• Information about PE4life. Use our boiler plate (below) and logo to show your parents and community that physical education and YOUR program are a part of something bigger than just your school.
  

(Your school name) strives to provide a quality physical education program. PE4life's Core Principles state that a quality physical education program should:

• Offer a variety of fitness, sport, leisure, and adventure activities to all students
• Implement a K-12 standards-based curriculum
• Provide a safe and encouraging learning environment
• Utilize individual assessments
• Incorporate current technology
• Extend PE beyond the walls of the gymnasium
• Ideally, be offered to every child every day
  

About PE4life
PE4life is a regionally focused organization with a national reach, and a vision that all children embrace wellness for life. Their mission is to advocate for improved fitness, social behavior, and learning readiness of children by inspiring, empowering, and educating schools and their community partners to be catalysts for change in establishing quality physical education as the foundation of a comprehensive school wellness program. To learn more about PE4life, visit www.pe4life.org.

Examples/Resources:
For some great newsletter resources and examples, check out:

• This great example of a newsletter from Parkview Middle School in Ankeny, IA
• http://www.aahperd.org/letsmoveinschool/tools/peteachers/communication_mar.cfm
• http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/publications/teachingTools/observepe.cfm
  
• http://www.pelinks4u.org/naspeforum/cgi-bin/discus/search.cgi
• http://www.pelinks4u.org/archives/technology/030104.htm

Did we miss any good resources? Has your PE department been successful at creating newsletters? Post your links and tips in the comments below!