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Physical Education Teacher Jodi Schutt talks with the kindergarteners and parents on Thursday, January 21, 2016, during Kindergarten Parent Day at Webster Elementary School.(Photo: Merle Laswell/For the Register)Buy Photo

We need to stop the defunding, job cutting and dissolution of important quality educators.

While playing sports is considered physical education, not every child is involved in a sport or an activity. Physical education allows all students — in sports or not — to receive the same level of physical activity during the day.

Senate File 2273 says that if students are in a sport, they don’t have to participate in PE. That implies that if students read outside of class, they don’t have to participate in English; if they watch the news they don’t have to learn about history or social studies; if they cook their meals they don’t have to participate in family and consumer sciences; and if they use addition outside of school they don’t have to be in math.

My husband, Tyler, is a physical education teacher. His job is often made fun of, looked down upon and seen as less important. His career provides outlets for students to move, play, grow and work as a team. His job isn’t meaningless, and your children’s health isn’t second to the core subjects. PE teachers are often coaches who reach and affect hundreds of students each day. PE is often an important part of young students’ education, but it is also important at maintaining health for our older students. Our students need to play and learn teamwork through physical games and sports.

We need to focus not only on the education of our students, but the health of our students. We are the most obese country in the world; why would Senate File 2273 even be a possibility?

Why deny our children the right to a healthy start and a healthy future?

— Ashley Swett, Urbandale

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