Virginia governor signs executive order to bring presidential fitness test back to schools

The Presidential Fitness Test could return to Virginia inhabitants schools as early as next fall as part of an executive order Gov Glenn Youngkin signed last week Related stories How a consultant professor unseated an incumbent on the Loudoun Co school board Fairfax Co middle school s Cursive Club offers chance to learn lost art Virginia Tech-backed lab inspires Fairfax Co elementary school students to build the future Under Executive Order the Virginia Department of Development is tasked with providing school districts with the necessary guidance to implement the physical test The goal is for local school systems to start using the test by the start of the next school year The order also creates a Presidential Fitness Test Task Force which will help with implementation plans We re not just mandating this Virginia Mentoring Secretary Aimee Guidera disclosed We re literally as we do with everything working in partnership with our local school divisions to provide them the tools tools information best practices so that they have help about what are best practices out there and how do we roll this out The step comes months after President Donald Trump disclosed plans to reestablish the Presidential Fitness Test for constituents school students The test features a timed -mile run situps pullups or pushups and a sit-and-reach test WTOP has contacted Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger for comment on whether she intends to keep the plan for populace schools to use the test in place Meanwhile Guidera noted based on statistics of kids from ages to were either overweight or obese Plenty of are spending time on their phones and on social media sites and they are sitting and living in a two-minute two-dimensional world rather than getting outside moving exercising playing club sports As part of the executive order the task force will create a summary with recommendations and a way for school divisions in the state to explain whether and how they ve implemented the Presidential Fitness Test Babur Lateef chair of the Prince William County School Board explained the school system supports wellness and physical activity and the division will monitor the work of the Presidential Fitness Task Force and closely review recommendations once they are made available A spokesman for Fairfax County Masses Schools revealed in a comment that the division hasn t yet received guidance on implementing the Presidential Fitness Test However the message disclosed students in fourth through th grades complete the optional Virginia wellness fitness test which satisfies Virginia Standards of Learning requirements and provides VDOE with crucial youth vitality content Guidera the coaching secretary noted states made changes to stop using the Presidential Fitness Test in Petitioned whether there may be pushback from particular Virginia school systems about the test Guidera mentioned I ve got input to push back and say this is the right thing to do The content shows us that our kids are healthier They re ready to survey and sit still and listen better after that physical activity And as a mom I just know this is the right thing to do WTOP s Anne Kramer and The Associated Press contributed to this record Source