The?California Court of Appeal ruled 3-0 yesterday that a parent can sue a school in order to compel it to provide the physical education that state law mandates?viz., 200 minutes of kinetic exertion every ten days in elementary schools, and 400 minutes in middle and high schools. The time totals do not include lunch or recess. Determining whether a school is in compliance may be tricky, however: the law's definition of ?physical education? is broad and could possibly include health and nutrition instruction and even teamwork-building activities. One sees on the horizon more legal wrangling?and more distraction from the focus of schools, which is academic. Instead of heading to court, perhaps the aggrieved parent could simply have spent time in the evenings tossing the football with his son or daughter?
?Liam Julian, Bernard Lee Schwartz Policy Fellow