Advocacy

The Tennessee Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance is committed in educating health, physical education, recreation, and dance personnel from around the state as to the need for legislation to maintain and/or update current standards.

Advocacy Links and Articles

• AAHPERD Legislative Action Center
• Tennessee's First Lady Helps Battle Childhood Obesity (WTVF-TV Nashville)
• Too Fat to Fight (WPLN-Radio Nashville)
• Recess Should Not be Optional Program
• 10 Years Later, School Still Sugar Free and Proud
• How Revving Up Your Heart Rate, Even a Bit, Pays Off

 

Current State Legislation

Class Size Law TCA 49-1-104

(a) It is the intent of the general assembly that every LEA move expeditiously and promptly towards the goals established in this section, and to the end, neither the commissioner nor the state board of education shall grant waivers from the maximum class sizes established in this section.  Every public school system shall have a policy that pupil-teacher ratios should not exceed the averages prescribed in this section.  In no school building shall the average size of any grade level unit prescribed in this section exceed the state average, though any individual class within that unit may exceed the average; provided, that no class shall exceed the prescribed maximum size.

Class Size Mandates by Grade Level

• K-3:  class size may average 20 students with a maximum of 25 students
• 4-6:  class size may average 25 students with a maximum of 30 students
• 7-12:  class size may average 30 students with a maximum of 35 students

Current State Legislation Under Review

The following bills related to Physical Education and Physical Activity in schools are not up for consideration this legislative session but will likely be discussed late summer/early fall by a joint committee of the House Education and Senate Education committees:

• SB1774/HB0836 - Change 90-minute activity mandate to 30 minutes per day.
• SB1927/HB1441 - Require physical education every day of the school year and mandate elementary students to receive 150 minutes/week and middle school students 225 minutes/week.
• SB3063/HB2419 - Require 60 minutes of physical activity per day and 90 minutes of physical activity instruction per week. (Not necessarily physical education).
• SB0421/HB0874 - (We are against) Allow the sale of 12-ounce products in middle schools.  This bill is moving away from healthier choices in schools and lessens the nutritional content of school beverages.

**  Coordinated School Health has been included in the governor's budget, but the budget is still up for vote before both the house and senate.

 

TAHPERD TALKS

Program Purpose:  TAHPERD TALKS is designed to bring health, wellness, physical education, sport management and/or exercise science professionals together to meet, eat, and discuss any current issue.  Click here to learn more about this program.