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

Easy Steps for State-level Advocacy

There are a couple of important advocacy opportunities coming up that could have nationwide impact on physical education. PE, health and wellness, and sporting goods industry leaders will be going to Capitol Hill to educate Congress Members on the impact of quality PE and ask for their support.

SGMA’s National Health Through Fitness Day (NHTF Day) March 6-7th, 2012

NASPE’s Speak Out Day, March 28-29th, 2012

If you’re not able to participate in these events, there are ways you can get involved on a local level. NASPE is hosting a free “Advocacy 101” webinar on March 8th at 3:00pm. You can register for the webinar here. We’ve also got John Baker from Des Moines Public Schools, back with his simple strategies for reaching his state-level policy makers, and his message to them.




You can view Mr. Baker’s strategies for advocating to parents here.

Click on the following links to find contact information for your State Senators and Local Members of Congress.

To stay up to date on physical education / physical activity issues, bookmark AAHPERD Advocacy's Legislative Action Center.

PE Advocacy - Get Parents Involved!

Parents are a key group for you to engage as you promote your physical education program. It is important that parents understand the issues that surround childhood obesity and sedentary lifestyles, but also that your PE program plays a role in combatting these issues.

Keep in mind that many parents' only experience with PE while growing up may have been negative. It is important that we let them know how far PE has come, and that your PE program is helping to build a foundation of health and fitness that their child will take with them for a lifetime.

Phil Lawler always used to say, "There is nothing more powerful than a group of passionate moms!" It is time to get these "moms" on your side!

John Baker, Physical Education teacher from Hanawalt Elementary School in the Des Moines Public School District, shares examples of advocacy tactics that have been successful in his program.

In this video clip, Mr. Baker discusses how he advocates to parents. He says it is important to engage parents in an on-going basis to ensure that PE is always on the front burner in discussions.



Tips:

Create a partnership with parents and let them know you are there to support whatever endeavor they are working on. You can begin doing this by joining the PTA.

Invite parents in to participate and volunteer in the physical education classroom, especially during fitness testing so they are aware of the crisis at hand.

Host regular family activities that parents and children can participate in together.

Engage parents on an on-going basis to ensure PE is always on the front burner in discussions.

Mr. Baker’s PE Program has been selected as a PE4life Model Site in Iowa. Mr. Baker was the IAHPERD President 1998-2001, IAHPERD PE Teacher of the Year in 2005 and IAHPERD Honor Recipient in 2004.

Watch for additional video clips coming soon that highlight Mr. Baker’s physical education advocacy efforts with administrators , policy makers and state-level decision makers.

NOTE: The KidStriders program that Mr. Baker discusses is a great program for schools. You can learn more about it here: www.iowakidstrong.com

Your Voice Needs to be Heard!

SGMA National Health Through Fitness Day (NHTF Day) is the culmination of a year round effort by the Sporting Goods Manufacturer’s Association and its many sponsors and volunteers to pass major U.S. legislation to “Get America Moving”.

This is YOUR chance to get involved on a legislative level! Physical Education teachers are encouraged join forces with Sporting Good Industry Leaders, Physical Education advocates and Celebrity Athletes who support the cause as they meet with representatives on Capitol Hill to promote the Carol M. White Physical Education for Progress grant (PEP Grant), and the Personal Health Investment Act (PHIT).

The 2012 National Health through Fitness Day is held on March 6-7th in Washington, DC. To learn more about 2012 National Health through Fitness Day or register to attend, go to https://www.sgma.com/publicpolicy/health-day.

If you’re not able to attend, you can still contact your local representative and ask them to support PEP and PHIT. Follow these links for templates, contact information and direct links to reach your local member of Congress:

Contact Congress to Save PE Funding in the form of the Carol M White PEP Grant

Contact Congress to support the PHIT Bill (H.R. 2649 PHIT)

For contact information for your local member of Congress, follow this link and enter your ZIP Code.