"Gym Class Is So Bad, Kids Are Skipping School to Avoid It" "Not only does P.E. do little to improve physical fitness, but it can also lead to truancy and other disciplinary problems." This article from The Atlantic popped up on my news feed the other day, and I felt compelled to reply. Having access to bikes and a comprehensive curriculum teaching students how to ride safely has been transformational for our students. It has, in fact, created the opposite effect of the headline above. The sensationalized title of this article caught my eye. It both ticked me off and persuaded me to read on. I wondered, is P.E. class really that bad? Are kids actually avoiding school so they don’t have to go to Gym class? As it turns out, the title is a bit misleading -- its claims are based on the analysis of a single P.E. initiative in Texas from 2007 to 2011 -- and contrary to the sentiment of the headline, the article is not an argument against exercise in schools
The Specialized Foundation uses cycling as a tool for children to achieve academic, health and social success. Through investments in primary scientific medical research and school-based cycling programs, our mission is to increase accessibility to cycling to aid youth in personal development and education. In 2017, Bath Middle School was one of twenty schools in the United States to receive the Riding For Focus grant.