Imagine your children attending a public school that offers no recess. What would your response be? For a group of mothers in Florida known as the Recess Moms, the answer was to initiate a petition that ultimately led to the drafting of a bill. They dedicated countless hours and personal funds to meet with legislators in an effort to push this bill forward.
Their proposed legislation, Florida House Bill 833, successfully passed through three House committees without any opposition. However, their efforts were abruptly halted when Senator Jake Thompson refused to allow the bill to be presented, stating simply, “I am not going to put it on the agenda. It doesn’t need a Tallahassee solution.”
In Florida, some students receive no recess at all—not 20 minutes, not 10 minutes, not even 5 minutes. The state does not mandate recess, leaving individual counties to decide if they will provide it. This seems like a straightforward issue: everyone recognizes the importance of recess for children, so surely counties are ensuring their students have this time, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case in Florida. While some states have successfully addressed recess, Florida’s focus on high-stakes testing has created significant challenges in maintaining recess time in schools.
In 2014, a mother named Lisa Martinez found her second grader and kindergartner receiving only 10 minutes of recess twice a week. When she inquired about this limitation, the school attributed it to a district mandate. However, when she contacted the district, she was told it was a state mandate. After further investigation, she discovered that Florida only requires four hours of instruction for grades K through 3 and five hours for grades 4 and 5. Given that her children were in school for six hours, she questioned why there was no time allocated for recess. The response was that schools were prioritizing instructional time to meet testing requirements.
Alongside her fellow advocate Sarah Collins, Lisa initiated a petition that led to the introduction of Florida House Bill 833, which aimed to mandate recess in public schools. They learned that schools with engaged parents tended to provide more recess opportunities. Currently, Lisa’s children enjoy 20 minutes of recess five days a week, but she continues to advocate for other families who lack the resources or time to fight for their children’s right to play.
More and more schools in Florida are claiming that rigorous standards and testing leave no room for recess. In early 2014, Orange County Superintendent Mark Adams commented, “A mandated 20-minute recess is not feasible for our schools right now, as teachers say they can’t fit it in.” The proposed HB 833 would require each school district to provide students in specific grades with a minimum of 100 minutes of unstructured free play each week. It would also prohibit schools from withholding recess for reasons such as punishment.
Senator Thompson’s refusal to allow the bill to be heard is disheartening. He could express his opposition during discussions, but he won’t even permit it to reach that stage. This lack of communication is troubling; according to the mothers, he has not returned any of their emails or phone calls over the past weeks. They received the news of their bill’s dismissal through the media, rather than directly from the senator himself.
It’s crucial to remember that elected officials work for their constituents, and as taxpayers, citizens have the power to hold them accountable. “This is not about time or funding; it’s about priorities,” insists Lisa. “Recess is essential for children’s development. Every child deserves that opportunity.”
Let the kids play.
In conclusion, advocating for necessary changes within the education system can be a daunting task, but as illustrated by the Recess Moms’ efforts, persistent and vocal parents can make a significant impact. If you are interested in learning about home insemination options, check out this informative post on an at-home insemination kit or explore resources for your couples fertility journey. For more insights into family planning, consider visiting Resolve, which offers excellent information on pregnancy and home insemination.
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