Baynard agreed. "To me, recess does not mean another section of P.E., and that's not what parents want," she said. A recess deficit could actually harm students' academic achievement, she said. "[Kids] are like long-legged dogs, and if they don't get to run around free once in a while, they get antsy and they don't listen."
Rachel Newhouse, president of Barrett's PTA and the mother of three students there, said that at a PTA council meeting last month, the "biggest cry" from PTAs across the city was the call for more recess time. She said one option being discussed would allow children to play outside during the 30-minute lunch period once they have finished eating. That would not add time to the day, although it would require playground monitors. "That was a more affordable proposal," she said, adding that it would cost "in the $300,000 range."
First-grader Sarah Riley frolics during the once-daily 15-minute recess period at Barrett Elementary in Alexandria.
(Len Spoden For The Washington Post)
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Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) has called the problem of overweight, underexercised children a "growing crisis" that has not been adequately addressed. In November, as part of his Healthy Virginians initiative, he visited Tucker Elementary School and played basketball with some of the students.
"The state has spent the last 10 years trying to put most of its focus on raising academic standards and increasing accountability in our schools," Warner said. "We're continuing that effort, but we also have to look at the overall health of the child."
Warner's initiative encourages schools to promote fitness awareness and recommends that students be given at least 30 minutes of recess each day. But the state has not earmarked money to achieve the goal, and many school systems say their budgets won't allow it.
Barrett Elementary Principal Annetta Lawson said that after hearing parents' concerns, she recently moved the first-graders' recess (including that of Riley's daughter) to an earlier slot in the afternoon and increased the kindergarteners' recess to 20 minutes by slicing five minutes off their rest time. But for most students at Barrett, the 15-minute allotment has not increased, and Lawson said she doesn't have the staff to offer more recess time.
Lawson said that in her 32 years in education she doesn't recall students ever getting more than 15 minutes of recess and that she does not think adding more recess time is a priority.
"Right now, we're offering them the minimum," she said. "I really don't feel that they need more recess. I think that after school would be the ideal time" for them to play.
But David, Alexandria's assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said that is not always an option for students. "Many kids go from school directly to after-school study groups," she said. "The days of coming home from school, putting down your books and going out to play -- that has been curtailed."
David said the district was talking to principals to make sure recess is not tacked on at the end of the day and is "looking at ways to make sure learning is active." One way to do this, she said, is with "brain-gym exercises," five-minute breaks during which children stretch and do other standing exercises.
But to Riley, nothing can take the place of recess. "They are actively trying to get the kids to move around during the day from one activity center to another," she said. "But you can't call that exercise."
