~ Florida PTA 2003 Proposed Platform Items ~ Note: For background and additional information, and supporting documents, please visit Florida PTA's Website. Resolutions Daily Physical Activity The Florida PTA recommends that both physical education and recess be scheduled daily, during periods of the day where they would be most beneficial and that recess not ever be substituted for physical education nor physical education for recess; The Florida PTA recommends daily physical education and recess for elementary school aged children of sufficient duration and intensity to provide health related benefits. Furthermore, that all physical education programs meet, at a minimum, the national standards of 150 minutes per week for elementary students, in addition to a daily recess period and 225 minute per week for middle and high school students and; The Florida PTA recommends that recess and physical education not be denied for discipline measures. Nuclear Waste Transport The Florida PTA oppose the transport of spent nuclear fuel by truck, rail and barge until the shipment casks are designed to remain intact in the most severe accident scenarios and undergo full scale physical tests. Teacher Certification That the certification process for public school teachers be no less stringent than exists in Florida Statute 1012.56 effective January 1, 2003. In particular, the applicant must document receipt of a bachelor’s or higher degree from an accredited institution of higher learning, or a nonaccredited institution of higher learning that the Department of Education has identified as having a quality program resulting in a bachelor’s degree, or higher. Each applicant seeking initial certification must have attained at least a 2.5 overall grade point average on a 4.0 scale in the applicant’s major field of study. Further, each applicant must: Be of good moral character. Be competent and capable of performing the duties, functions, and responsibilities of an educator. Demonstrate mastery of general knowledge. Demonstrate mastery of subject area knowledge. Demonstrate mastery of professional preparation and education competence. That the process of alternative teacher certification be no less rigorous than that for traditional teacher certification. Voucher Funded School Accountability That Florida PTA urge the Legislature to impose strict eligibility requirements on private institutions and nonpublic K-12 schools receiving public dollars through any state funded voucher, grant or scholarship programs, and at a minimum, require them to meet the same accountability standards as public schools, including, but not limited to: School wide participation in any statewide assessment program, by mandating all current standardized tests, i.e. FCAT and Florida Writes; Assignment of an annual school performance grade category designation and improvement rating, to be published in the Commissioner of Education’s annual statewide assessment report; Regulations to ensure private institutions and nonpublic schools are adequately equipped to meet the educational needs of their students.