PE waiver rules finalized

By
Cougar Staff
 – February 6, 2008Posted in: A1B, Sports

PE Students play field hockeyFor a number of years, there has been confusion about exemptions from Physical Education at Albany High. On December 10, 2007, Principal Ted Barone submitted a new proposal to the superintendent of schools intended to establish firm guidelines on the PE program and on the exemption policy. The proposal was finalized at the Instructional Improvement Committee’s January meeting and forwarded to the School Board for final approval. However, the decisions are already AHS policy.The recommendations affirm that PE is a two-year requirement at AHS, with most students completing PE-1 in 9th grade and PE-2 the following year. Though state law requires four years of PE, many California high schools exempt 11th and 12th graders from the requirements. Under the new AHS policy, exemptions are only available for PE-2, and only for students on Albany High’s sports teams. Athletes can be exempted from PE-2 after completing four seasons of AHS sports.
Many students may be disappointed to hear that no exemptions will be made for elite athletes in programs outside Albany High nor will they be made for students in Albany High’s dance classes. State law only allows exemptions for interscholastic athletics or for courses taught by “an appropriately credentialed PE teacher”, criteria that outside sports and current dance classes do not meet.
The new PE policy will take effect for current freshman and sophomores.