Florida Mom Fights for Recess in Schools

As Florida lawmakers and educators battle over standardized tests and accountability, one Polk County mother wants to remind folks that kids should just be allowed to be kids once in a while.

To that end, Amanda Lipham went before the Polk County School Board on Tuesday to ask for 20 minutes of recess added into the daily schedule. While state law requires 150 minutes of physical education a week, there’s nothing on the books about pure recess time.

In Polk County, and many other school districts across the state, some elementary schools offer recess a few days a week, but some do not.

In hopes of remedying that, in Polk County at least, Lipham has begun a petition drive. She’s collected more than 2,000 signatures to date, several media outlets have reported. She also had plenty of backing during Tuesday’s board meeting.

“I feel like they’re just being taught to be little test-takers and have no real world experience, and that’s what’s frustrating,” fellow Polk parent Kim-Marie Noble was quoted by News Channel 8 as saying.

Whether the petition drive will get Polk to add recess into the schedule or not remains to be seen. School Superintendent Kathryn LeRoy does plan to meet with Lipham and other concerned parents soon.

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