I think your concerns about your son and school are shared by many parents and teachers. (And parents and teachers of girls, too.) As both a teacher and parent I am completely alarmed by the trend toward increasing 'paper learning' at younger and younger grades. Creative teachers are having a harder time working their magic as they are pressured to prepare kids for standardized tests. The rhetoric of higher academic standards is used to justify this, but no one is being challenged by this, just bogged down with more boring work. And the reduction of recess time is completely counterproductive. It goes against everything we know about how children learn. I am bothered that not a single major candidate is opposed to the No Child Left Behind Act, which codifies such emphasis on test preparation. Have you expressed your concerns to other parents? A group of vocal, committed parents can really have an influence on a school. Parents can't take away the pressure of NCLB, but they can work to make sure recess is maintained and classes stay as creative as they can within the current political environment.

David -

Thank you for the kind words and yes - I do remember you. I wish your 1st grader much success. If there is anything I can do to help, let me know!

z

I second the comment made by Shrijnana. I, too, am a mom and until recently, had worked in the school system. It's alarming how much of an emphasis is placed on preparing the kids for standardized testing. It was never this bad when I was in school, and after hearing so many horror stories about the public schools, it makes me wonder if I should just homeschool my son once he's of school-age. And I do agree that boys have a tougher time of it. Many of them have a learning style that just doesn't fit in with what the beaurocrats think it should be. Eliminating recess is yet another way to make children fit into a confining box that these beaurocrats, who obviously forgot what it's like to be a kid, want them to be in.

Education is a subject near and dear to my heart. I worked in early childhood education for a few years until my son was born. My views are similar to those already given. I am amazed that with all the understanding and knowledge we have about children that programs are continually put into place the contradict this knowledge. For this reason we have chosen to homeschool once our son reaches school age. I know that this is not an ideal solution for all families but there are other things to be done.
One thing you can do for any child is allow him/her the time to run and play after school, I know this doesn't replace in- school recreation but at least it will provide an outlet. I also agree with Shrijnana about organizing a parent group that can act as a voice for the children. A few ways to be heard are attending school board meetings, most meeting set time aside for an open forum where members of the community can address the entire board. Second, make sure you vote. School board members are elected officials; vote for members that support your views. These elections usually don't draw a big crowd so a few votes can go a long way. Finally, you can contact state and local government officials about concerns, the more that speak up the more the politicians listen. Imagine what would happen if all the parents and all the teachers who are fed up with the current system were to make their voices heard, the government would have no choice to listen. It may take a while for changes to be made but at least right now you can feel good that you are acting and not just standing idle waiting and hoping someone does something.

i agree with the comments. i pulled my children out of mr z's school district because not only have they reduced PE to once a week and limited recesses but the schools here in the southern portion of z's district are utterly overcrowded and the staff has become highly inaccessible. sad, because i grew up in this district myself and there is very little resemblance to what it used to be. i do not blame the no child left behind bill though because that has funded special needs preschools, special needs programs and other things needed. if i had a special needs child i would undoubtably keep them in z's district because they are fabulous with that particular population (because they don't pay for it, the federal government ultimately does). but for the bulk of us with average to above average students, public schools just assume to allow those kids to sink or swim. test scores not withstanding, these kids come to blacktops in the morning with 700 other kids (and this is elementary school!). the noise at 7:30am is jarring. some kids want a little peace and quiet first thing in the morning but they are forced into the crowd, to become just another face, like it or not. things are beyond out of control and no tax measure or bond issue is going to be able to even put a bandaid on the problem anymore.