Education

Richard Simmons Promises to Have Fun on the Hill

July 23, 2008 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Richard Simmons is coming to Washington tomorrow. And the media frenzy has already started. He appeared on local news this morning, joking around but sounding serious when he talked about his mission to save PE. USA Today reports that the “fitness fireball” promises to be a combination of “Norma Rae and Johnny Appleseed” when he touts the FIT Kids Act to the House Education and Labor Committee tomorrow.

On Monday’s edition of NPR’s “Tell Me More,” Simmons talks about fighting obesity as a child and describes how he’s always been “a clown and court jester.” He promises to be funny tomorrow.

Simmons is sure to draw the media spotlight in the hearing room. He’ll appear on a panel with Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., and Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., (the sponsors of FIT Kids), former NFL wide receiver Tim Brown, two physical fitness experts, and a student from the Florida Council on Physical Fitness.

After the hearing, Simmons will lead a rally at noon on the terrace of the Cannon Office Building. His Web site promises they’ll be sweatin’ to “Dancing in the Streets.” Good thing the heat wave has broken.

Remember when Alyson Klein wrote that the House committee’s action on the No Child Left Inside Act was a sign that NCLB wasn’t going anywhere this year? Same could be said about tomorrow’s hearing.

A version of this news article first appeared in the NCLB: Act II blog.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
Mathematics Webinar How to Build Students’ Confidence in Math
Learn practical tips to build confident mathematicians in our webinar.
Student Achievement K-12 Essentials Forum How to Build and Scale Effective K-12 State & District Tutoring Programs
Join this free virtual summit to learn from education leaders, policymakers, and industry experts on the topic of high-impact tutoring.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: April 16, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Quiz ICYMI: Do You Know What 'High-Quality Curriculum' Really Means?
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Image of curricula.
iStock/Getty
Education Quiz ICYMI: Lawsuits Over Trump's Education Policies And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Image of money symbol, books, gavel, and scale of justice.
DigitalVision Vectors
Education Quiz ICYMI: Trump Moves to Shift Special Ed Oversight And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on TikTok in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on TikTok in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
Evan Vucci/AP