Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
Mandated play time could be coming to Florida schools.
The state House Education Appropriations Subcommittee on Tuesday voted 13-0 to approve a House Bill 833, which would require public schools to provide 100 minutes of recess each week to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The measure also applies to sixth-grade students enrolled in a school that contains one or more elementary grades.
“Recess is about choice,” said Robert Mayersohn, with the Florida PTA. “It’s about choice of how, where and when a student plays. This unstructured play is about a break from the structure and expectations we have for our children meeting the high academic standards.”
The unanimous vote came after about an hour of passionate debate, with some parents near tears as they pleaded with lawmakers to support the measure. The so-called “recess moms” told lawmakers that their young children would benefit from 20 minutes of recess each day.
“Unstructured play helps students develop socially, emotionally and physically,” Mayersohn said. “They help students focus, they improve learning, and lead to better behavior and improve creativity.”
Orlando Republican Rep. Rene Plasencia, a high school teacher and track coach, has said he filed the proposal after a town hall where parents complained their children weren’t getting enough recess time.
“Children need the break, and I would think (teachers) will see better performance once those kids can separate,” Rep. Marlene O’Toole said. “I think the schools are up for it, I think they can do it. I think we put it to bed once and for all that recess is a good thing.”
