My comments on the proposed new health and PE standards

 This is a reminder that public comment on the new health and PE standards are open but close August 28th! Review and go comment! 

Good afternoon,

I submit the following comments entirely in my capacity as an individual member of the Worcester School Committee. 

I want first to note that I was overall struck by how strong the standards are. There is clearly a great deal of thought, time, and expertise invested in them. They introduce topics and skills at developmentally appropriate ages and grades, and then build on those as, again, developmentally appropriate. These standards come together as a constructed whole, as one would hope. 

With that general statement, let me then turn to a few specifics.

I was pleased to note the wide variety of experts of various kinds involved in the creation and the review of the standards. There is an enormous scope of information and skills involved in this field; casting the net wide here is wise. 

I was confused by the suggestion on page 7 that "school resource officers" might be among the staff most likely to be involved in these programs. As SROs are very much not instructional staff, why would this be suggested by the Department?

I would suggest that guiding principle 2 (page 10) should include the word "inclusive" regarding the description of the programs. It is not only the perspectives (in principle 3) that must be inclusive; the programs themselves should be.

I very much appreciate that included in grades PreK-2 is a note on weapons and on gun violence(p. 19). I'd suggest that making this more than a parenthetical would be appropriate.

Ensuring that students in grades 3-5 are being taught (under practice 6) on how to find "medically accurate" sources of information (p. 31) is invaluable, and, again, I appreciate that this carries through in later grades.

In grades 6-8, working through the complexities of human trafficking, and also acknowledging situations in which there are barriers to reporting unsafe situations (p. 35) is so very crucial for our students. 

In grades 6-8, the inclusion of food not only as a source of nutrition, but of connection, is so very thoughtful (p. 38)

Turning attention in grades 9-12 to lifetime physical activity (throughout the section) is a fit completion to this standard.

It does seem to me from the district level that this will require health class in every grade for much if not all of a year, as well as full year PE in every grade. While I know that is left to local authority (which I appreciate), it might be well to mention.

Again, I appreciate the time, thought, and attention to this overdue area.

Very sincerely yours,

Tracy Novick