Stop North East Independent School District's Mandatory Healthy Lifestyles Graduation Requirement
- Target:
- NEISD Superintendent Dr. Richard Middleton & School Board
- Region:
- United States of America
IS YOUR STUDENT IN ATHLETICS, BAND, DANCE CHEER OR JROTC? According to North East Independent School Districts Superintendent Dr. Richard Middleton and NEISD board members, your child is not getting enough physical education and activity.
IS YOUR STUDENT IN DRAMA, ORCHESTRA, OR TAKING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE? The newly introduced HEALTHY LIFESTYLES course is a one-year mandatory course only mandated by NEISD. If your student is pursuing a more rigorous academic track, he or she may need to delay a language course or other elective to take a year-long health course instead.
IF YOUR STUDENT CAN'T FIT HEALTHY LIFESTYLES INTO AN ALREADY TIGHT SCHEDULE, HE OR SHE MUST TAKE THE COURSE IN THE SUMMER BEFORE 10th GRADE AT YOUR EXPENSE. SUMMER SCHOOL IS AT LEAST $250.00! SO MUCH FOR SUMMER VACATION!
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN & WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
In the summer of 2009, the Texas Legislature revised House Bill (HB3), granting students greater elective flexibility by removing Health and a 1/2 credit of PE as graduation requirements. Maximizing electives allows a student to pursue enrichment classes of their own choice and to pursue more rigorous courses if they so choose. The results can be very rewarding to a student's class rank and career path. Unfortunately, the revised bill still allowed school districts the option of requiring students to take a health class.
Despite the advantages to HB 3, Middleton responded by creating a new health and physical education course called HEALTHY LIFESTYLES. Just when NEISD students were given the benefits of maximum elective opportunities, Middleton took away those advantages and mandated that all students entering 9th grade in the 2010-11 school year and thereafter be required to take HEALTHY LIFESTYLES. Furthermore, there are no substitutions for the physical education component included in the course. The curriculum is needlessly stretched into two semesters. While the course covers valuable information, much of it has already been taught to students since Kindergarten and in Middle School (i.e. CPR, tobacco & alcohol awareness, nutrition, PE, life skills).
With the implementation of HEALTHY LIFESTYLES, NEISD stands to receive over $2 million dollars in grant money over the duration of three years. The money is to be used to develop and improve physical education opportunities in NEISD but is contingent upon collecting baseline data, filing reports and demonstrating the results and progress of students in HEALTHY LIFESTYLES over 36 months. In simple terms, this course and its findings are being used as an evaluation for the U. S. Department of Education.
WE BELIEVE THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO ACHIEVE THE HEALTHY LIFESTYLES AGENDA THAN BY MANDATING IT FOR A FULL YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL AND THEREBY JEOPARDIZING OUR STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO PURSUE THEIR OWN ENRICHMENT COURSES.
Please take a stand AGAINST the HEALTHY LIFESTYLES course being MANDATED by NEISD, the only district in the state of Texas to include it as a graduation requirement. Help maximize your student's opportunities for a better education, career path and class rank. Let your voice be heard by signing the petition!
TO LEARN MORE, visit www.neisd.net, click on STUDENTS, scroll to Wellnes in NEISD and then Healthy Lifestyles. Also, visit www.ed.gov to research Carol M White Physical Education Grant
In regard to HEALTHY LIFESTYLES, I support the opportunity for my student to waive or substitute PE with activities such as Team Sports, JROTC, marching band, drill team, pep squad, color guard, cheer leading and/or similar electives which have historically counted as a PE credit.
I support that students involved in previous listed activities be taught HEALTHY LIFESTYLES concurrently with their chosen activity.
I support HB 3 with the opportunity for my student to have the maximum flexibility of elective choices.
I support HB 3 with the opportunity for my student to pursue a career path with enrichment courses of their own choosing.
I support HB 3 with the opportunity for my student to take more rigorous courses.
I REJECT mandating HEALTHY LIFESTYLES by NEISD Superintendent Dr. Richard Middleton and board members to be a graduation requirement.
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The Stop North East Independent School District's Mandatory Healthy Lifestyles Graduation Requirement petition to NEISD Superintendent Dr. Richard Middleton & School Board was written by FACTNOW and is in the category Education at GoPetition.