Physical education
This week, I stood in front of the Board of Education to support our incredible PE teachers and defend our children's best interests.
This is what I said.
Physical education is a critical period of the school day that should always be on the schedule and should never be on the chopping block.
Good Evening. My name is Courtney Gault. I am a GPS parent to a kindergartener and a former teacher specializing in early childhood general and special education.
After moving to Riverside in 2017, I founded Greenwich Play, a company that designs playrooms for families who want to create meaningful play experiences for their children at home.
And a huge part of what we do is make recommendations to families who are eager, almost desperate, to offer their children more physical play opportunities. Not less.
Did you know that when a child climbs up a rope or throws a ball, they are working on improving their handwriting grip and overall coordination?
PE is not about freeze tag, ghost bowling, or any of the other fun activities our incredible teachers facilitate.
PE is about:
• problem-solving
• learning to focus
• testing out how things work
• learning independence
• enhancing communication skills
• resolving conflicts
• being cooperative
• exercising self-regulation
• interacting appropriately with peers
• learning to be flexible
• communicate feelings
• acknowledging personal space
• building friendships
• learning to use equipment
• building confidence
PE is on the chopping block because it’s seen as less essential to academic success, but the evidence and the research suggest otherwise.
As an educational professional, you can see why it’s so difficult for me to understand how you could reduce the amount of time our children spend in this critical period.
I implore you to reconsider where budget cuts are made and give PE the credit it deserves to remain a vital, constant part of the school day.
Thank You.
*The board voted against reducing the PE budget in a vote of 4-3-1. This means three board members voted to reduce time in PE. We must do better for our children.
