I've never heard of schools teaching about marathons in all honesty, have you come across this with your own kids? I also don't see much about nutrition except to promote the importance of drinking milk and eating vegetables. And a little emphasis on brushing teeth. There's a lot of "apples are a good snack" but that's about it. And indeed, wheat bread is more nutritious than white wonder bread, what's to argue about that?

Gosh if I could list the ways that parents FAIL my students I'd be here all day long. I teach only in schools with socio-economic hardships and I know that sometimes these kids wouldn't eat breakfast and lunch if the school didn't provide it for them. Parents are not helping with homework, they are not teaching proper behavior, they are not even supplying their kids with basic essential items like pencils or papers, lots of my students don't even own a bookbag. This is a huge number of children we're talking about, cities full of malnourished, unparented kids. Society bears responsibility, these kids will be adults one day and they'll need to find a way to prosper and contribute back into the world.

And parenting physical education? Sorry, my parents both worked very long hours. We were never taught to go outside and play, we were encouraged to stay home so that we were not wandering outside when they weren't home. We didn't have money to sign us up for ballet classes or martial arts or be part of a softball team.

If you're very uncomfortable with phys ed and nutrition then you can opt out of it. Bet let it not be deprived of those who desperately need it.

Me too. In elementary school I remember the humiliation and actual physical pain of having to play "Guard the Pin" in which the largest and most coordinated boys got to nail you with rubber balls while you tried to keep the pin from being knocked over for your team. Pain and humiliation all the way around.

Frickin REALLY people? I don't know where the teacher was, probably off on a smoke break, but I was put off sports very, very young by the way phys ed was taught in elementary school. What a shame.

Ugh! Don't get me started on the humiliation of Dodgeball! "Ok class, fter we finish our math assignment we will proceed to the gym where you will have to run around scared for your life and avoid being nailed by huge balls whilst being made fun of for being fat!"

Yep... purely awful. My husband and I weren't fat as teens, but we are NOT athletic types. We didn't get it naturally, we had to be taught. For instance, when I was a kid/teen, they would have us run periodically. Just "run around the track a few times". Those who were fast would run fast, those of us who weren't naturally runners would run, walk, run, walk and get stitches in our side. It wasn't until I was married and my husband taught me to SLOW DOWN so that I could keep breathing at a sustainable pace that I learned HOW to run without having to stop. I had no idea how to pace myself to run.... Now, why wasn't that taught in school? Why didn't they TEACH us how to run better? instead of just sending us off?

Part of the problem is that gym is always (or almost always) taught by natural athletes. They don't know HOW to teach what comes naturally to them. I think they do think some kids are just lazy when that is not it at all.

I have said a couple of times (when I was thinner and fitter) that I would maybe consider becoming a gym teacher to TEACH IT RIGHT!!!

I homeschool my kids. So yes, I teach math and grammar.

I could definitely argue about it and also point to research that suggests, in many cases, whole grains are more harmful than refined grains. But I'd rather just agree to disagree, since I know not everyone believes what I believe.

However, you guys make an excellent point that I--in my narrow view--failed to acknowledge. I live in a rural town with middle to mid-upper socioeconomic status residents. I also associate a lot with homeschooling parents, who typically are very invested in their children's development. I could see, however, how schools could be a valuable resource for kids in cities or lower income neighborhoods, or just for those parents who are too busy to put forth the effort. Though I'd suggest that that's the bigger problem with kids, rather than the school system.

Though from what you guys describe, it doesn't sound like schools are doing a good job.

So you obviously have a very different view-point. It's awesome that you have the resources to be able to homeschool your kids (and maybe that's the best option where you live), but it's certainly not the case for the majority of families in the U.S.

Yep, you're right about this. And it's something I tend to forget. I try to remind myself that we don't all have the same resources--and, indeed, we've all been blessed with different gifts--but like many other humans, the framework of my own life influences my gut reactions. :)

Still, I would argue that the schools in this country do teach about the Food Pyramid, and I would also argue that the Food Pyramid is wrong, wrong, wrong. lol But again, that's just my belief, and not shared by all.

This is me exactly! I didn't even know I could run until I decided to try in college. I would walk from the start because I felt it was unfair to pit me against my classmates, and I was VERY vocal about it from 7th-12th grade. If I could "do" a mile does it matter if I'm running or walking it? Walking saved me the embarrassment of trying and failing in front of everyone.

I ended up liking running enough to run 15+ miles per week (not amazing, but consistent). I actually walked out of gym class at least once every year in high school because of overly competitive classmates who couldn't understand that maybe I'm not the best spiker in volleyball, but this isn't the Olympics!

The day I no longer had to take PE in school was a good day.

I registered for a 15K race in Portland, OR which was organized by a high school. The money went towards their sports program that trains students, staff and parents to run, culminating in a half-marathon. All running gear, registration fees, etc. are paid through the program. It's not about beating someone and meeting certain time goals--it's about setting personal goals and doing your best. I loved the idea, and I wanted to support it.

Also, those students understand race etiquette (i.e. don't start right in the front unless you're one of the faster runners). The parents, on the other hand...

I have to admit quite the contradictions here though. It seems all of us hated gym (I did, I wasn't overweight then), but there isn't enough of it in schools, parents fail kids but it is parents responsibility, but it should be the schools responsibility? 120 students a day, that is quite the burden on teachers already tired and dealing with unmotivated teenagers within curriculum goals.

I don't have an answer but surely you guys must see the confusion!

A gym teacher is a professional in the field. He or she might know or SHOULD know more about how to teach movement than say someone like me - especially me 20 years ago who thought she couldn't do X, Y, or Z. The school should at least be a supportive environment for movement, but it's not. It's all about competition and it doesn't teach the right thing - you should move to be healthy versus you should move to try to win.

Now, is it ONLY the schools responsibility? Of course not! It should be fostered at home too - but I still think that organized sports is still the semi-wrong way to go about it unless your kid actually stands out and actually gets to exercise and participate. Movement should be seen more as a part of life versus something you have to go and "do". Walk to school, play tag, ride bikes, etc.

I was interested in teaching PE but chose ESL instead. The thing is, the teachers aren't handed a gym key and told to have free reign. Just like a 9th grade teacher must teach polynomials in week 12, PE mandates that soccer must be instructed, then volleyball, or whatever. The degree is actually quite rigid, more so than my linguistics, in that it required dozens of half credits in instruction for certain sports.

If I was a teacher yes, I'd certainly LOVE to hand out 30 bikes and tell them to go have fun, that is far more beneficial, but a profession requires adhering to standards.

I can't just brush off useless modals like "shall" in place of things *I* think are more valuable once the school has set a curriculum.

I agree improvements are needed, I just think people forget PE is treated like math and ESL too. If the curriculum sucks, then let's push to change that.

Yes, I know this is how it works, but... WE can start to demand change. We need to. I think "Girls on the Run" might be a start in the right direction with that. Though, it's not much help for my SONS.

It's great that you (banana) can home school but I've seen some parents that quite frankly scare me and have no business home schooling. Generally speaking, most adults can't even figure out how to eat properly or lose weight for themselves let alone teach their children. How many times have you seen obese parents with obese children? I think we should leave that to the schools, pediatricians, AND the parents to follow through...which sadly most don't which is why obesity in children is an epidemic.