Recess could be required for K-5 students

Louisiana public schools would have to schedule at least one 15-minute recess for students in kindergarten through fifth grade under a proposal that advanced Wednesday from a legislative committee.

Rep. Beryl Amedee, R-Schriever, excluded charter schools from House Bill 121 because state law allows them to establish their own policy on classroom time versus recess. The key change Amedee’s proposal makes to existing law is it would allow recess not to be counted toward the minimum of 360 instructional minutes required each school day.

Opposition to the bill at Wednesday’s meeting of the House Committee on Education included the Louisiana Federation of Teachers. LFT’s Cynthia Posey was the only person to speak against Amedee’s proposal at the committee hearing.

Posey said the teacher’s union objects to the addition of yet another requirement to the school day that could lengthen the school day and place more work on teachers, school employees, administrators and students.

Amedee’s bill goes next to the full House for a floor vote.

Correction: This story was updated to indicate recess time would not count toward instructional minutes. 

Correction: This story was updated to reflect their were additional opponents to Amedee’s bill and to provide more context for the Louisiana Federation of Teachers’ arguments against it.