Plattsburgh refusing recess reform

By Melissa Erny
Playworks, a California-based nonprofit organization, is hiring more and more coaches for schools all across the country just for recess periods. These aren’t regular coaches, though. They aren’t there for a young sports team – they’re there to make sure kids do activities that are scheduled out during their free time rather than doing what they want.
Will these changes be coming to Plattsburgh elementary schools any time soon? Local principals say no.
The program is run by what they call a recess coach. They put together physical activities and supervise children as they perform them as a substitute to free time recess. Activities include anything from running around an obstacle course set up by the coach to simply running laps. With this program in place, children must do the instructed activities or they receive disciplinary actions. The level of supervision helps lower the amount of injury occurring on the playground. In a study at the University Heights Charter School in Newark students who work with the program have shown to perform better socially and are less likely to bully.
Carrie Zales, principal of the Oak Street Elementary School, says that recess is already monitored as much as it needs to be. The school doesn’t plan for recess to be run by a coach anytime soon. The school has other programs put into place to correct bullying and they do not feel that more measures are necessary. “We educate our students with the programs: Steps to Respect and Second Step.” These programs already do the job of a structured recess and teach children not to bully and get along with others. “We act on individual cases of challenge with reteaching and consequences.”
Bailey Avenue Elementary School and Momot Elementary School agree with these teachings and neither plan on asking for a recess coach. None of these schools reflect enough problems with bullying for this to be necessary. Children who do bully receive treatment immediately.
There are some who think there could be benefits to a structured recess. Dr. Raymond Havlicek, a Lake Placid psychologist who has dealt with children in the past, thinks the program could be very beneficial and is almost necessary. He doesn’t think that recess is necessary and that this program could benefit in many ways.
“The idea of adding additional structure may be positive for kids,” he says. “The reason is the poor performance.” Though the National Center for Education Statistics listed that the enrollment of children into elementary school has gone up 1% between 2001 and 2006, Dr. Havlicek says students are performing worse than ever. He believes that this additional structure in recess could help them do better in school as well as socially. He says that if children were made to play together then it could be very positive to their peer-structure. Fewer kids would be left out because everyone would be included.
He also says that there would be no detrimental effects on a child’s psyche from the structure a coach may provide. “Children are very robust.” He believes that it will help relieve any stress that children may be facing during recess and would have a positive impact on decreasing bullying in school.
However, parents of children across the country whose schools have already taken on a recess coach are crying out. They say that children need to rest during the day and this makes them come home tired and worn out. In The New York Times, Maria Costa, a mother of three children, says she couldn’t imagine going a whole day without having a break as an adult or a child. Since then recess has now been restored at her daughter’s school. “It’s just not natural.”