Sign Our Petition! Oppose SB 454
State Senate Bill 454, which was amended on March 19, 2024, was introduced by Senator Dush which would amend the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), allowing students to satisfy physical education requirements by participating in interscholastic athletics.
SHAPE PA would like to present a signed petition supporting this opposition. Now, more than ever, we need teachers, parents, students, and other interested stakeholders to sign the following petition to oppose this bill. We are seeking a minimum of 1000 signatures by April 8, 2024, to show strong support for quality physical education.
SHAPE PA is proud to advocate on the local, state, and national levels for quality health and physical education.
What is Advocacy?
Unfortunately, the concept of advocacy is often misunderstood. Simply put, Advocacy is “Educating others and/or conveying an opinion."
Advocacy is what you do when you are actively supporting a cause. Although advocacy is often compared to public relations, it is quite different. When teachers advocate for an issue, they are committed to providing information to stakeholder groups that will build support for their vision. They also recognize the importance of building networks and alliances that will support their efforts.
When representing our department at meetings such as Curriculum Council, School Board, Faculty, Home and School meetings we need to be good advocates for our profession at all times.
To be a successful advocate for HPE, you need to:
Recognize your role importance as an advocate
Communicate effectively
Educate yourself, on current issues, federal and state requirements, on laws, rules, guidelines, and legislation for HPE
We live in a time of great uncertainty. As Health and Physical Educators, we need to be the best we can in our profession. All of us need to advocate, stand together, and speak with one voice. Want to learn more about our public policy and advocacy? Check out our full statement here
Advocacy Resources
Do you need help advocating against:
Cuts to programs
Allowing interscholastic sports to count for PE credit
Reductions in staff
And More!
Check out the brief slide presentations below that our Advocacy Committee has put together for you! Advocate and highlight the importance and benefits of school-based Health and Physical Education to your school community. Feel free to download these slides to help advocate for your program!