American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERD

Advocacy News, Action Alerts, and Resources

You don't have to be a lobbyist to make a difference in education and health policy - just passionate about the health and well-being of our nation's people. We will keep you informed on the issues you care about and let you know what you can do to be part of the advocacy process.

Advocacy News

Support Arts in Health!

During Arts Advocacy Day on April 16-17, attendees will be urging Congress to:

• Direct federal agencies involved in the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Interagency Task Force to support research on the Arts and Human Development.
• Designate funding through Department of Defense, TRICARE, and Veterans Affairs for Demonstration Projects for veterans and active military to access cost-effective creative arts in healthcare treatment and programming.
• Support Dear Colleague Letter seeking clarification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the inclusion of creative arts therapies interventions within existing Prospective Payment Systems (PPS).

Show your support for this important work by contacting your Congressmen today!

Biking and Walking Funding In Jeopardy

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate are expected to vote soon on their respective transportation bills. The House bill would completely eliminate funding for the Safe Routes to School program and other active transportation funding, while a critical amendment to the Senate bill must get passed to ensure communities have access to funding to make walking and biking safer.

The program allows communities to build sidewalks, bike paths, and crosswalks that make physical activity safe and accessible for kids. And current funding levels for the program represent less than one-half percent of total federal transportation spending. With nearly one out-of-three children and adolescents overweight or obese, we must increase the opportunities for kids to be active throughout the day, like walking or biking to school. However, we can't ask our kids to get moving if they cannot do it safely.

Send a message of support for Safe Routes to Schools today! Your action will help show Members of Congress that giving kids safe ways to be physically active matters to their constituents.

PEP Funded for FY 2012

The Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) has been funded at $78.7 million for FY 2012.  This is slightly less than the funding provided in FY 2011 as all discretionary education funding was subjected to a 0.189% rescission for FY 2012.  The House and the Senate came to an agreement on the omnibus appropriations bill for FY 2012 on December 15. Many other education programs were zeroed out for FY 2012 so it is very fortunate that PEP made the cut.  Although the continued funding of PEP is good news, the US Department of Education has indicated that it will not be soliciting new applications for FY 2012.  Instead they will be funding FY 2011 applicants who were not awarded funding last year but still met necessary requirements.  This could be a sign that the US Department of Education is preparing to wind down PEP in anticipation of no further funding after FY 2012.  Please continue to visit the US Department of Education PEP webpage for details.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act Update

On January 6 Rep. John Kline (R-MN), House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman, released draft versions of two bills - addressing teacher evaluation and accountability.  There is no mention of physical education or physical activity in either bill.  These partisan drafts show that House Republicans continue to favor giving states and school districts increased flexibility and control when it comes to education.  The House Education and the Workforce Committee is expected to mark-up the bills on February 28.

Of note about the House draft ESEA bills:

• Adequate yearly progress (AYP) is eliminated.  States would be required to craft their own accountability systems.
• The "highly qualified" teacher requirement is also eliminated.  School districts would be required to create teacher evaluation systems based significantly on student performance and to make personnel decisions using these systems.
• Grants broad funding flexibility to school districts but limits the amount of money that can be spent on class-size reduction.

Learn more about ESEA and the reauthorization bills that have been introduced by the Senate and the House to date.

Click here to send a message to your Senators and Representatives continuing to urge them to include PE and HE in ESEA reauthorization.

Current AAHPERD Action Alerts

• Support Arts in Health!
• Update the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans!
• Urge Congress Not to Stand in the Way of Healthier School Lunches
• House Education Flexibility Bill is Flawed!
• Support the FIT Kids Act
• Support Physical Education and Health Education in ESEA
• Support PEP Grant Funding
• Support the National Endowment for the Arts

AAHPERD Advocacy Resources

• AAHPERD Policy Asks for 2011
• NASPE Policy Asks 2011
• Let's Get PHYSICAL!
• PEP Talking Points
• PHYSICAL Act Talking Points
• FIT Kids Talking Points
• Physical Education is an Academic Subject
• Physical Activity and the Brain
• State by State PEP Funding 2001-2010
• Total PEP Funding by State 2011-2011
• PEP Supporters in U.S. Congress
• State Obesity & Physical Education at a Glance. View current obesity trends, government funding levels, and statistics on physical education in your state.
• 2010 Shape of the Nation Report
• 2006 CDC School Health Policies and Profiles Study
• Advocacy 101, Megan Wolfe, NASPE Government Relations Manager
• Sample letter in support of PE
• Custom state PE advocacy piece