MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — After meeting each other through their children’s’ school in 2022, a group of Clarksville parents connected over the same issue: they thought their kids weren’t getting enough play time at school.
In July 2024, the “Say YES to Recess” group successfully negotiated at least 30 minutes of recess time in the Clarksville-Montgomery County school district. Now, the group wants to pass a state law so all Tennessee students can “Say ‘Yes’ to Recess.”
“We’ve had a lot of talks with the Education Committee and we’re hoping that they introduce a bill that would satisfy what we’re asking, which would be two 30 minute periods — one in the morning, one afternoon,” Rachel Bush, a parent involved in “Say YES to Recess Tennessee” told News 2.
The group added they’ve been in talks with several state lawmakers, including State Representative Scott Cepicky (R-District 64), to put forward a new bill with these requirements.
As of publication, the Tennessee State Board of Education requires elementary school students to get at least 15 minutes of recess per day and 130 minutes per week. Kathryn Truman, who is a mother of four boys, said that’s not enough.
“The students in Tennessee deserve more physical activity,” Truman said. “The current law is not giving them close to what is needed.”
The group said they’re starting with advocating for elementary school students across the state, but they hope to work their way up to increase recess time in middle schools as well.
“Study after study after study shows that if you add in play and you add in social development, it increases soft skills,” Morgan Garner with “Say YES to Recess” said. “It helps with anxiety, [and] depression. It helps with obesity; it helps with everything.”
Bush said their initiative has faced pushback by concerns over cutting into math and reading time in the classroom. The moms pointed to several studies, which suggested more recess time would only improve math and reading test scores.
“We’re not talking about cutting math and reading in half, but really just looking at shaving a little bit here and there to increase recess to then help every other subject in the classroom,” Bush said.
