By Lee Igel & Arthur Caplan
Forbes.com | January 14, 2014
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is in the middle of a huge scandal over the closing of approach lanes to the George Washington Bridge. While giving his State of the State address earlier today, he acknowledged the unfolding political woes of “bridgegate.” Soon after, he turned his attention—and a sizable chunk of the speech—to education. He mentioned that New Jersey boasts a 87.5 percent high school graduation rate and more than $25 billion in annual investments in public education, though shortcomings and challenges still exist. So, how to make improvements? Lengthen both the school day and the school year.
Without more time in class, Christie warned, it will be tough to produce students who can stay competitive in the global economy. What he did not say is that without more exercise and recess activity built into those longer days and years, bridge traffic will continue to be a problem for New Jersey residents. That’s because unless the governor adds in some funding for more physical activity in schools, the only way the next generation of kids will be able to approach the George Washington Bridge—or any other roadway—is in an ambulance.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/leeigel/2014/01/14/one-thing-could-make-a-real-difference-in-chris-christies-call-for-a-longer-school-day/
