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Former Olympian, ex-football player fight proposed phys ed change

Dayton school board takes comments under advisement.

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By Anthony Gottschlich, Staff Writer Updated 12:53 PM Tuesday, November 17, 2009

DAYTON — Physical education teachers and college professors, plus a former Olympian and a retired NFL player lined up Monday evening, Nov. 16, to fight for the physical education requirement in Dayton’s high schools.

The Dayton school board, considering a policy change, listened for two-and-a-half hours as proponents and opponents debated a 2007 state law that allows school districts to waive the P.E. requirement in high schools for students who participate in interscholastic athletics, marching band or cheerleading for at least two full seasons.

“The education part is what we need to really think about when we talk about physical education,” said retired Dayton educator Lucinda Williams Adams, who earned gold in the 4 x 100 meter relay at the 1960 Olympics.

Adams argued that P.E. teaches lifetime lessons about fitness and health that are critical in fighting chronic disease and the national epidemic of childhood obesity.

Echoed former NFL player James “Butch” Caldwell, a 1972 Roth High grad: “At 55, I’m able to resort to everything I learned (in high school physical education) in order to take care of myself today.”

Parent Donna LaChance, who has four children in Dayton schools, including three at Stivers School for the Arts, argued that a waiver would simply be an option for qualifying students who would rather spend time on electives and courses that could enhance their student record.

“We know there’s a concern about waiving P.E. at a time when childhood obesity is on the rise, but let us not forget that childhood obesity has been on the rise while children have been enrolled in P.E. classes,” she said.

LaChance and other Stivers parents said the waiver also might encourage more participation in sports, cheerleading and marching band and help reduce overcrowded gym classes.

P.E. teacher Tom Milord said allowing the waiver would dilute the talent pool in his classes, like taking away talented writers in a creative writing class.

“Some think that skilled athletes should be able to get a free pass in physical education,” he said. “If this policy moves forward, you are taking away our best models in physical education.”

Kevin Lorson and George DeMarco Jr., P.E. professors at Wright State University and the University of Dayton, respectively, said the district should look at ways to bolster its P.E. curriculum.

Board President Jeffrey Mims Jr. said school board members and administrators would take the comments under advisement.

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Ignorance is bliss. To all of those who have responded, get the facts. To allow students to waive Physical Education because of showering, or to add science and math teachers really make me more fully understand how many uneducated parents we truly have in this state. First, Showering is a personal choice, physical educators construct lesson plans that address teaching students the proper techniques to many lifetime activities. Rec centers do not TEACH anything!

Get the facts
10:43 AM, 11/19/2009

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Look, half of the kids in these classes need the free "A" grade to make the school look better. The only other thing they are good it is "Free Lunch" provided by taxpayers because their fathers are unknown on the birth certificate.

Besides, gym class gets them in shape for prison life when they drop of out school.

Migel
4:25 PM, 11/17/2009

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I agree with Mr. Ed.

Make It optional
3:19 PM, 11/17/2009

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Why don't they promote physical fitness by promoting local recreation options and lifestyle habits instead of trying to make kids fit at school. If they still do that community shower stuff, that's nasty to make a locker room into a vehicle for school nudity. Lots of kids are shy (modest) and bullied because of incompetence in sports and gym activities. Heck, some leave school for that reason alone. Suppose to be teachers not sports trainers!

ED
3:14 PM, 11/17/2009

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Mike + hornblower, perhaps the schools you saw had a lousy band/athletic department. When I was in band they made you run laps for warm-up and if you couldn't do that you had to do push ups or crunches (which is what I did cause I couldn't run).

PE isn't going to make a kid any less obese. You have to have good parenting. Don't let the kids sit and drool in front of the TV/computer when they get home. Make sure they are eating/drinking healthy.

Anon
3:09 PM, 11/17/2009

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