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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Joe Titus, CEO and Co-Founder of HiveClass, on Physical Education in New York City Schools
9:25:51
ยท
3 min
Joe Titus, CEO and Co-Founder of HiveClass, testified about the state of physical education in New York City schools, emphasizing the importance of PE for students' academic and emotional development. He highlighted the progress made by the PE Works program before the COVID-19 pandemic and the current disparities in PE access, especially among black and brown students.
- Titus urged the city to fund physical education programs to ensure all students, particularly the most vulnerable, have access to tools for a healthy, active, and successful life.
- He stressed that PE is often the most skipped class and suggested that schools should listen to students' needs to make PE more engaging and relevant.
- Titus pointed out that club sports have become expensive and inaccessible for many families, making school-based PE even more crucial for lower-income students.
Joe Titus
9:25:51
Good evening.
9:25:52
Thank you committee chair Joseph and the members of the education committee for the opportunity to testify today about the state of physical education in the New York City budget.
9:26:05
My name's Joe Titus, and in 2022, '2 cofounders and I launched HiveClass to make physical education and wellness accessible through remote learning.
9:26:17
Our standards based curriculum supports both mental and physical health, providing the foundation for a healthy active lifestyle.
9:26:28
In 2016, the city launched the PE Works program which helped principals prioritize physical education.
9:26:36
By 2019, the percentage of elementary schools failing to meet state standards dropped from ninety six percent to just twenty one percent.
9:26:47
Nearly every school had a PE teacher.
9:26:50
However, COVID nineteen disrupted this progress, leaving many students unable to move or engage in physical activity.
9:27:01
Today, twenty percent of students are not meeting required PE instruction time with higher rates among black and brown students.
9:27:10
At Hive Class, we believe that physical education is essential for both academic and emotional development.
9:27:17
Just as students learn math and reading, they also need to learn how to collaborate, resolve conflicts, and build relationships.
9:27:27
Yet PE is the most skipped class in many schools.
9:27:31
We believe this is partly because traditional PE classes struggle to address the complex needs of students including bodily changes, social pressures, and academic stress.
9:27:47
Physical education gaps disproportionately affect lower income students who often lack access to alternative activities.
9:27:56
Club sports and all sports have become expensive and inaccessible for many families, making it harder for all students to stay active.
9:28:05
These disparities in physical education, much like disparities in academics, should not be accepted.
9:28:14
HiveClass is committed to closing the gaps, but we need the city's support.
9:28:21
We urge the city to fund physical education programs so all New York City Students, especially our most vulnerable, can have access to the tools they need for a healthy, active, and successful life.
9:28:36
The PE Works program had funding.
9:28:40
We ran into a pandemic.
9:28:43
Today, the best part of the eleven hours I spent here was talking to kids and asking them about physical education.
9:28:52
Let students tell schools what they want in physical education because a lot of kids are skipping it because we're not giving them what they need.
9:29:04
Thank you.
9:29:05
Thank you.