CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Although Tennessee middle school students are supposed to get 90 minutes of physical activity each week, a group of moms in Clarksville says that’s not happening at all schools.

The group, Say Yes to Recess, has advocated for more recess across all grades for years. Last year, the group helped get a state law passed guaranteeing recess for kids in elementary school. 

“When you look at the research and you look at what physical activity should be for a middle school student, it's not walking to and from class, for example,” said Kathryn Truman with Say Yes to Recess.

Now, they're turning their attention to middle schools that are not following state law requiring physical activity.

“A lot of these kids go from elementary school where now, thankfully, they're getting 40 minutes of recess into a middle school where they're not even getting PE every week," Say Yes to Recess mom Morgan Garner said. "So they're going from a decent amount of physical activity, PE two, three times a week and recess to nothing."

The moms said several district parents have reached out, reporting their students' middle school is counting walking to and from class as part of their 90-minute activity requirement for the week. And it's something they want to work with district officials to change.

“I would argue that these kids need that more than ever in middle school, because those are the years that you're learning how to be a good friend, how to conflict resolute. And just moving in general is just so good for mental health,” Garner said.

So far, Say Yes to Recess moms say district officials have been receptive and open to working with them. They hope to continue that relationship to bring all middle schools into compliance. 

“Starting in middle school, I mean, you're laying the groundwork for cardiovascular health, bone health,” Truman said. “A lot of kids come from different types of households where maybe they're not playing as many sports as another family.”

These moms are urging parents to reach out to their school district's administration if they believe their middle schooler isn't getting 90 minutes of activity weekly.

Clarksville-Montgomery County School System officials told News 2 they look forward to "continued collaboration" with these moms. They shared the following statement on Wednesday:

CMCSS’ Director of Middle Schools and Chief Academic Officer are actively discussing with all middle school principals both the concerns and opportunities presented by the Recess Moms last night at the Board meeting. As Mrs. Bush, Mrs. Garner, and Mrs. Truman all mentioned last night, we do have a couple of middle schools that have already implemented innovative schedules to incorporate unstructured activity time for students in addition to physical education and health classes. We are asking the principals of those schools to share these structures with other principals during their regular professional learning community (PLC) meetings. Ultimately, “recess” at the middle-school level may not be the norm nationally, but we acknowledge the research and benefits presented by the Recess Moms. On the most recently released state data, our middle schools made historic academic gains, with nearly 90% meeting and exceeding state expectations and half earning the highest score possible. We will continue refining our learning environments to support student growth, and Dr. Luna-Vedder, Director of Schools, has set the expectation that we continue to be an innovative district. We look forward to continued collaboration with the Recess Moms, and we will be sharing information about how unstructured activity time will be implemented district-wide in middle schools at a future Board meeting.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/clarksville/clarksville-moms-say-physical-activity-requirement-isnt-being-followed/