What is the Physical Education for Progress (PEP) Act?
Funding for physical education is on the Congressional agenda for the first time in over a decade! Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) recently introduced the PEP Act that authorizes $400 million over a five-year period for grants to local educational agencies for physical education programs. These grants can be used to provide physical education equipment and support to students, to enhance physical education curricula and to train and educate physical education teachers.

How can you help?
Encourage everyone you know to contact their U.S. Senators and Representatives and tell them to support the PEP Act. They can call, e-mail, write or fax letters of support. On the web-http://www/Congress.com or by mail - Your Senator's Name, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20515; Your Congressman's Name, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515
write letters to the editor of your local newspapers supporting the bill
invite U.S. Senators and Representatives to your state AHPERD conventions
organize support from community groups

Why is PEP important to children?
Two disturbing facts: the percentage of overweight young people has more than doubled in the last 30 years and only 25 % participate in any type of daily physical activity. Physical education instruction provides children with the skills and knowledge they need to adopt active lifestyles and enhances academic achievement.

How do I stay informed about the bill?
Help us unite the profession by becoming a member of AAHPERD
Visit the "What's New" section of NASPE's website at http://www.aahperd.org/

With two pieces of legislation supporting physical education on Capitol Hill, there has never been a better time to become a more active advocate for physical education. The bills are as follows:

As a part of the Educational Excellence for All Children Act of 1999, better known as the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the United States Department of Education has submitted to Congress Title IV of The Safe and Drug-Free School and Communities Act which proposes a "new grant program to support demonstration projects promoting lifelong physical activity for students through physical fitness education programs. Exemplary physical education programs can promote lifelong healthy habits, provide opportunities for students to connect to school, and support after-school programs."

The Physical Education for Progress Act is officially introduced into the Congressional Record as Senate Bill 1159. It is expected that the Bill may eventually be connected to the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The time frame for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act could be anywhere between this fall and the end of Congress (December 2000). This is the long standing omnibus act under which most federal education programs are funded. However, we are concerned because it is our estimate that there have been a total of only a few hundred contacts to the various Senate Members Offices around the country. While Senator Stevens had hoped for 15 cosponsors, he introduced the Bill with only eight cosponsors. Our goal is still to get as many Senators to cosponsor this Bill as possible and if they won't cosponsor, to get them to support the Bill. Therefore, our work is just beginning. We have some suggestions:

Please encourage all of your constituents to call or email their respective Senators and Representatives to find out what is happening with the Bill. Initial contacts by letter email or phone need to be followed up a week later. This will generate action on the actual battlefront. Let us know what they tell you. We will always let you know what we know and what others have shared as soon as we can after learning anything. Periodic followup calls to their staffs may also be needed.
State AHPERD members need to couch local advocacy in terms of what the legislation can do for the children and physical education programs in your state. Direct links to the YRBS data (if your state collects it) or any data on PA patterns or fitness of local children will be useful for this connection to program needs for your state. Perhaps the potential of physical education to address youth violence is timely as well.

We must generate much more action in the Hill offices. We need our constituents to seek support from other citizens (non-physical education related), local sporting goods store owners/managers, health clubs, physicians groups, parents, etc. Ask parents and others to ask for support.

We hope that all of you will arrange meetings with Congressional staff and senators/representatives whenever you are in Washington, D.C. If the senator or representative is not available, ask to speak with the staff person in charge of education. In most instances, this is a valuable staff member who makes recommendations. When a trip to Washington, D.C. is not possible, consider contacting the local offices back in the states and meet/call there. Home offices for Senators may be in the state capitol or in their hometowns or both. Again we would like to hear about any of these activities and the response.

Please get constituents individually and your Presidents on behalf of your state AHPERD to send notes of thanks to Senator Stevens and those Senators who have already cosponsored.

Look for opportunities this summer to talk about the importance of physical education such as community group meetings and to the local media and mention the PEP bill.

Write a Letter to the Editor to your local newspapers telling them about the importance of the PEP Act to their children.

The NASPE/AAHPERD website (www.aahperd.org) carries the complete bill, information on how to contact Senators and Representatives and a sample letter. We must convey our passion to the Congress in every way possible! What we need is personal advocacy to all the Senators! Physical Education professionals know why physical education is important and why the resources of this Bill will make a difference. Tell this to Congress! NASPE's new Sport and Physical Education Advocacy Kit (SPEAK II) will be of invaluable help.
Invite your Senators and/or Representatives to your state AHPERD conventions. Please them with an advocacy award if it is deserving and encourage them to speak to your members.
Again, please keep NASPE (pkun@aahperd.org or 1-800-213-7193, ext. 461) posted on the actions and results of actions that are taken by the state AHPERD or individuals in your state or yourselves that relate to this most critical campaign. We must not let this opportunity pass us by without our having pulled all stops, used every strategy, made every call, to the last hour to win this very big championship game!!!

Date:
Your Name and Address:


Dear Senator :

Physical education is on the Congressional agenda for the first time in over a decade!

On May 27 Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) introduced the Physical Education for Progress - or "PEP" - Act which authorizes $400 million over a five-year period for grants to local education agencies for physical education programs. The grants can be used to provide physical education equipment and support to students, to enhance physical education curricula, and to train and educate physical education teachers.

This important legislation needs your support!

Every student in our nation's schools, from kindergarten through grade 12, should have the opportunity to participate in quality physical education. Children need to know that physical activity can help them feel good, be successful in school and work, and stay healthy.

As a nation, we are not living up to the recommendations of the U.S. Surgeon General's 1996 Report on Physical and Health or the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that daily physical education be provided for all students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Fewer than one in four children get 20 minutes of vigorous activity every day. In fact, the percentage of overweight young Americans has more than doubled in the past 30 years. The impact of our poor health habits is staggering - the nation spends more than $100 billion per year on lifestyle related disease, and inactivity and poor diet cause more than 300,000 deaths per year in the United States.

The PEP Act would begin to correct these deficiencies. It would authorize funds ($400 million over a five-year period) to make grants to local educational agencies for physical education programs that, among other things, require at least 150 minutes per week of physical education for elementary, middle and secondary school students, and daily physical education if practicable.

I urge you to support(cosponsor) this legislation so that our schoolchildren will gain the knowledge, skills, and motivation to adopt healthy, physically-active lifestyles. Children must be educated mentally AND physically to be healthy, productive citizens
Sincerely,


Your Name