Buy Jerseys for Jocks or Train Teachers to Provide PE? Schools Wrestle to Find Most Effective Use of $500 Million Windfall

WHAT: Long the stepchild of California’s education system, school physical education and arts programs got a shot in the arm today when Superintendent of Schools Jack O’Connell announced a special one-time distribution of half-a-billion dollars to these woefully under-funded programs. And now the controversy begins!

While many schools have already written POs for new basketballs, bats and jerseys, health advocates trying to reverse the state’s childhood obesity epidemic insist the money be used to ensure the most lasting and positive impact on children’s health – by training teachers to provide PE instruction.

WHY: With nearly a third of all California children overweight and obesity at epidemic levels, providing desperately needed funding to school PE programs can be one of the most effective tools to help reverse this crisis. School cutbacks have left few credentialed PE teachers, relegating PE classes to unprepared math, science and history teachers. Without proper training, these instructors have little hope of offering PE programs that will excite, engage and encourage students to develop more active lifestyles.

WHO: Health and physical activity experts are lining up to make sure that these monies are not wasted on short-term equipment purchases but instead are invested in teacher training. Two key spokespersons are available to provide their insight and commentary:

Antronette (Toni) Yancey, MD, MPH Associate Professor, Department of Health Services and Co-Director, Center to Eliminate Health Disparities, UCLA School of Public Health (310) 794-9284 E-mail: ayancey@ucla.edu

Harold Goldstein, DrPH Executive Director, California Center for Public Health Advocacy (530) 400-9106 E-mail: HG@PublicHealthAdvocacy.org