Wamp Visits Ooltewah High
October 23, 2007

Students at Ooltewah High School had a chance to question a lawmaker this afternoon as U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn. spoke at an assembly about proposed physical education legislation.

The students wrote letters to the congressman last month with concerns about a bill he introduced that would incorporate physical education requirements into the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which is up for reauthorization later this year.

“I would rather them require (physical education) outside of class,” said Hollie Whitener, 15. “Some people need all the class time they can get.”

The Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act would require schools to report on their progress in meeting the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended amounts of physical education — 150 minutes per week in elementary schools and 225 minutes per week in middle in high schools.