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recess

Senate OKs mandatory recess bill

in Statewide by

Recess scored a big win the Senate, but the proposal faces an uphill climb in the House. The Senate voted 36-0 to approve a bill (SB 78) that would require school districts provide students in kindergarten through fifth grade with 20 minutes of recess each day. The vote marks a big milestone in the Senate, which just last year refused to hear to hear a similar proposal. But the Senate proposal is significantly different than one moving through the House,…

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House panel approves scaled back version of school recess bill

in Statewide by

The House PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee passed its version of the public school recess bill, setting lawmakers on two very different paths when it comes to free play. The committee approved a committee substitute for the bill (HB 67) that would allow school boards to include free-play recess for students in kindergarten through third grade as part of 150 minutes per week of physical education requirement. The proposal, sponsored by Reps. Rene Plasencia and Bob Cortes, also requires school districts to…

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School recess, in disarray statewide, to become uniform under Seante bill

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In the decades before tablets and standardized testing wormed their way into primary and secondary schools, school playgrounds were a familiar place for children and adolescents. Up to an hour a day was spent running around, throwing balls to, or at, one another. But with all the technology and pressure to make the academic cut, with extracurriculars lumped in, recess somehow got lost in the mix. However, one Florida state senator is looking to change that, even if only by…

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Mandatory recess bill sails through second Senate committee

in 2017 by

Call it another small victory for recess. The Senate PreK-12 Education Appropriations Subcommittee unanimously approved a bill (SB 78) requiring school districts to provide at least 100 minutes of supervised, unstructured free play each week — or 20 minutes of free play each week — to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. While the bill received strong support from the committee, some members expressed concern they were issuing a mandate to local school districts. “Who can be against recess? I loved…

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Senate education committee approves mandatory recess bill

in 2017 by

Mandatory recess could be on the horizon. The Senate Education Committee voted 7-0 to approve a bill (SB 78) that requires school district across the state to provide at least 20 minutes of recess each day to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Under the proposal, the master schedule at each school containing elementary grades would need to reflect the requirement for 20 consecutive minutes of daily recess. “It’s time for recess,” said Sen. Anitere Flores, the bill’s sponsor. The…

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Anitere Flores to push for mandatory recess during 2017 session

in Statewide by

A push for mandatory play time at Florida’s elementary schools will once again be on the agenda during the 2017 legislative session. Sen. Anitere Flores filed legislation Tuesday that would require school to provide “at least 100 minutes of supervised, safe, and unstructured free play recess” each week. The mandatory recess would apply to students in kindergarten through fifth grade, and would break down to at least 20 minutes each school day. The bill, Senate Bill 78, is similar to…

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