"Despite opposition from physical education teachers at Mountain View and Los Altos high schools, the district's board of trustees unanimously approved the change"

Two problems --

1) The PE teachers know more about PE than the trustees.
2) The trustees caved to public pressure instead of doing what was right.

Marching is better than sitting around playing video games, but it is in no way real physical activity.

Well this is one way to boost a declining marching band enrollment....

So many problems with the 3 comments above. The PE Teachers have a vested interest. Many other school districts do this. The Marching band students have to be physically fit, and it is good exercise. Who says the PE classes are such good exercise? Do think it is daily calisthenics? Think again. There is only time enough in the school day for so many classes. Marching band involves more than an hour per day, it goes on before and/or after school, regularly.

To anyone who says the Marching Band is not physical, they clearly have had no experience with either a child in the band or watching their daily practices. These kids practice every morning from 7-8 am; every afternoon from 3:30 - 6 pm and four Saturdays during the fall from 8 am to 4 pm. They are constantly moving, some carrying large and heavy instruments. As for Color Guard....ummm everything they do involves physical activity!

"Marching is better than sitting around playing video games, but it is in no way real physical activity..." - "no way real physical activity"? Really?? I would ask you to live the life of a Marching Band participant for one week and then tell us it is in no way physical. Good grief!

To me, the key point is:

"The passage of the policy puts marching band and color guard in line with other extra curricular physical activities, such as cheerleading, dance and sports -- all of which count for P.E. credit."

As a former band member and PE slacker, I can state with first person authority: Marching band requies more physical activity than most PE classes. Nobody questions whether softball should be part of the PE program, but really, you're more likely to sweat just from standing around in the sun than from the activity itself.

While I was able to get out of taking PE during the majority of my 4 years at MVHS because of band & sports, I can say with certainty, that marching band is way more physically involved than PE. Thinking back to my PE class towards the end of the school year - we sat around in the pool. The "physical exercise" of the period was swimming the width of the pool once, not even the length! It was just social hour.

Once again, comments by people who know nothing of which they speak.

From the middle of August to November, stop by MVHS at 7am (every day but Thursday) and take a look at 150 or so kids running around the field in block formation as part of their physical conditioning for marching band.

I am concerned about the actions of the PE teachers, who use the cover of allegedly wanting what is best for the students, when in reality they were just fighting to enhance their job security.

C'mon folks, read the article. Enough already with the comments about the physicality of marching band. Even the PE Department acknowledged (in a prior meeting) that the physical ACTIVITY of marching band met or exceeded what happens in PE classes. That was not the issue.

The issue was the educational component. While people can argue the notion (whether education happens, whether PE teachers just want job security, etc), California Education Code does spell out standards to be covered over 2 years of PE. The school district can't just blow that off...hence the reason a bit more went into this than just being swayed by those citing the physical exertion of marching band practices.

Unless gym class has changed 180 degrees, the only 'Education' present there is in the last initial of 'PE'.
But we all see things from our own perspective... to the jocks and gym coaches, perhaps PE is the finest form of education ever found.

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This school district just opened themselves up to a lawsuit. Marching band is not standards based physical education. This will change when a parent who values physical education sues the district for breaking education code.