Parents in one Florida community are in a bitter fight for their kids to have recess at school.
The Orange County school district has eliminated recess at some elementary schools claiming that there is no time to spare for kids to have recess because of Common Core testing and other new standards.
WOFL reported:
But with new standards such as Common Core testing, Superintendent Barbara Jenkins says forcing schools to have recess wouldn't be fair.
"A mandated 20 minute period is not appropriate for our schools at this point when teachers say they don't have enough time to get it done."
Jenkins says teachers are under pressure in dealing with the new standards because it affects their jobs how much they're paid. While 100 schools have recess in Orange County, 23 do not.
On "Outnumbered" today, Harris Faulkner said she disagreed with the school districts' decision, citing the fact that recess allows kids to exercise.
"We're looking at dramatic levels of obesity among children in this country," Faulkner said. "I think it is irresponsible not to give them some form of choice of exercise, whether it's indoor or outdoor. I prefer outdoor even if it's chilly. It's good to refresh the mind."
Faulkner also added that kids not having recess could cause other problems in the classroom.
"We know that children, their attention spans are short, but we also know that behavioral issues pop up when they aren't able to release energy," Faulkner said. "Now you're going to have teachers who aren't going to be as focused on the curriculum, they are going to be more focused on trying to managing the kids."
Melissa Francis said kids "go bananas" when they don't have time to expend energy, while Kennedy said it's critical for brain development that kids have "unstructured play."
Watch the video above to hear more and let us know what you think.
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