Dallas ISD Voting to Make Recess Mandatory

Speaking on behalf of kids everywhere, hell yeah, make this happen. 

I couldn't imagine elementary school without recess. Even if I was not playing or running around, it was just nice to be outside for a little bit every day. It was a nice break and something to look forward to. I learned today, recess isn't mandatory in parts of Texas. Fourteen years ago, recess stopped being mandatory.

A recent internal survey showed 75 percent of Dallas ISD schools still offer 11 to 15 minutes of outdoor activities each day. School administrators are thinking about bringing it back. "Kids need time to get out that energy, so when they go back in the classroom their brains aren't buzzing because they've been sitting there all day," said Foster Elementary Principal Zack Hall. "They're ready to learn. They're primed."

The vote will take place on January 28th. If passed, mandatory recess goes into effect immediately. Principals would have to decide how to implement the new daily requirement into the daily schedule at each campus. I called over to the Wichita Falls ISD this morning. They told me that kids in our area do have a mandatory goal of physical activity for the week. Whether those minutes come at recess or a gym period is up to the administrators.

I hope the vote passes. I think kids need to spend some time outside every day. I know I wouldn't want to be stuck inside a building all day. That's what being an adult is and it sucks kids.