Picture your children attending a public school where they receive no time for recess whatsoever. What steps would you take? For a dedicated group of mothers in Florida known as the Recess Moms, the answer was to initiate a petition that ultimately led to the drafting of a bill. They devoted countless hours and personal funds to meet with legislators, advocating for the bill’s passage, which successfully navigated through three House committees without any opposition.
However, their efforts were abruptly halted when Senator Mike Reynolds refused to allow Florida House Bill 833 to be debated, despite its strong backing from both educators and parents. He bluntly stated to the press, “I’m not going to put it on the agenda. It doesn’t merit a Tallahassee solution.”
In many Florida schools, children are deprived of recess entirely—no 20 minutes, no 10 minutes, not even 5 minutes. The state does not mandate recess, leaving individual counties to make the decision about whether to provide it. You might think this would be an obvious choice; after all, we know children need time to play. Yet, that’s not the case in Florida. While some states do not require recess, Florida’s focus on standardized testing has exacerbated the issue.
In the fall of 2014, one mother, Lisa Harper, discovered that her second grader and kindergartner only received 10 minutes of recess twice a week. When she inquired about this limited time, the school claimed it was a district mandate. After some investigation, she found that it was allegedly a state mandate, which contradicted when she sought clarification at the state level. Ultimately, she learned that Florida requires only four hours of instruction for grades K-3 and five hours for grades 4-5, leaving ample time in a six-hour school day for recess. The reason for the lack of break? The schools were prioritizing time to fulfill testing requirements.
Alongside fellow mom Sarah Martin, Lisa took action, inspired by similar initiatives in two other counties, and launched a petition that led to the introduction of Florida House Bill 833. This bill aimed to mandate recess in public schools. Through their advocacy, they discovered that schools with engaged parents were more likely to offer recess. Currently, Lisa’s children enjoy 20 minutes of recess each day, but she continues to fight for those families who may not have the resources or time to do so.
Increasingly, Florida schools are claiming that academic standards and testing leave no time for recess. In January 2014, Orange County Superintendent Mark Adams stated, “A mandated 20-minute period is not appropriate for our schools at this point when teachers say they don’t have enough time to get it done.” The proposed HB 833 would require each district’s school board to provide a minimum of 100 minutes of supervised, unstructured recess each week for students in grades K-5 and for sixth graders in elementary schools, ensuring at least 20 consecutive minutes of free play each day. Importantly, schools would be prohibited from withholding recess for punitive reasons.
Senator Reynolds has the power to allow the bill to be discussed, but he has chosen not to. He could vote against it later, but by refusing even to bring it to the table, he effectively blocks any potential progress. It’s disheartening that, according to the moms, he has not responded to any of their communications over the past weeks and months. They learned through the media that their bill would not be heard, rather than receiving a direct update from the senator.
It’s worth noting that senators are elected officials, accountable to the very citizens who pay their salaries. “If recess is in really high demand,” he said, “he’s unlikely to be back in 2025, and lawmakers can reconsider the idea then,” reported the local news.
Very few states have laws mandating recess. If your school is facing similar challenges, take inspiration from Lisa’s experience: vocal parents can effect change, even when faced with indifference from lawmakers. Remember, you have the power to hold elected officials accountable during election cycles.
“This isn’t a matter of time or funding; it’s about priorities,” Lisa emphasized. “Recess is vital for children’s development. Every child deserves to have recess.”
Let the kids play and thrive.
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Summary
A group of Florida mothers, known as the Recess Moms, is advocating for a bill that mandates recess in public schools after discovering that many children do not receive any break during the school day. Despite garnering support and successfully navigating through legislative committees, Senator Mike Reynolds has refused to allow the bill to be heard. This has sparked frustration among parents who believe that recess is vital for children’s development and should be prioritized in education.