The worst-case scenario may actually be the most likely outcome, based on the reality before us. On Thursday night, the Davis school district had to plan for that worst case scenario, announcing that they would have to lay off around 61 teachers to close what is now projected as a 7.1 million dollar budget deficit.
Observant readers might recall that the district faced a similar scenario last year, where it was facing 67 layoffs. They were able to avoid those through a few factors. The teachers took pay concessions which saved the district one million. There were a large number of retirements due to teachers who took the district’s offer of a retirement incentive. And there was fundraising by the Davis School Foundation.
The fact is that the worst case scenario is the reality. Part of that cut might be mitigated should the voters in May pass the parcel tax which would increase taxes by $200 per year per single-family home for the next two years.
We now know this will be Measure A, it will require two-thirds majority for approval and generate around $3.2 million next year for the school district.
And therein lies the problem. Some people have complained that the district is asking for too much money, and $200 is a lot no doubt, but it does not even cover half of the deficit.
Without Measure A being passed, class size would increase back up to 30 students per classroom. It would be the end of a number of programs as well.
As I have argued before, the worst case scenario is the reality. If Jerry Brown’s tax plan passes, the district would get an additional $2.6 million per year. But, realistically, there is almost no chance of that happening.
First, as we have explained, the Republicans are dead set against putting the tax extension on the ballot. The Democrats need four Republican votes to get to two-thirds, and it is most likely not going to happen.
Even if Governor Brown could somehow swing the deal to get the votes to put the tax plan on the ballot, it is basically the same measure that voters overwhelmingly rejected back in 2009. Now, could Governor Brown succeed where Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger failed? Yes. But it seems like a long shot. Combine the two odds and you are looking at a $2.6 million deficit.
Finally, apparently there is another $1.2 million floating out there – special education mental health costs of around $1.2 million for Davis schools which Gov. Schwarzenegger suspended. Gov. Brown could restore funding in that area – but again it does not seem likely.
Bottom line, yes, a miracle could happen and the funding would come through, but the only likely source of cutting into that $7.1 million number is the local parcel tax, and notice we would still be $3.9 million in the hole even if it does pass.
What that means is that we will see layoffs this year. We will see cuts in programs. We will see increases to class sizes. Our children will receive less services.
People talk about spreading pain around and point out that as everyone is hurting, why shouldn’t education hurt too.
First of all, even in Davis, education is hurting as much as anything. We have fewer teachers than at any time in the last decade. Two decades of efforts to reduce class sizes are about to be gone.
Second, I agree that we need to all feel the pain. But we also have to prioritize our spending. It is one reason that I have been such a deficit hawk in the City of Davis. I consider parks and greenbelts, while a great asset to our community, a luxury.
It is a reason why, despite my slow-growth leaning, I will probably support the elimination of redevelopment agencies which siphon too much local money away from schools.
My priorities are for spending on education, which is an investment into the future, and spending on county-based social services, which I also see as an investment into the future. If you don’t believe me on that one, I’ll introduce you to our future, all of whom rely on county-services to survive.
In the end though, I agree with Governor Brown. He was talking about the state’s voters needing to decide what their government should and should not fund. I agree on the local level. If the public believes that education is where they should put their money, they get to decide, collectively. If two-thirds agree, then the money goes to the schools. If only 65% agree, then the district will have to look at other ways to do business.
I also think John Munn had an important point that should not be lost – if this is the new reality, then the district needs to stop governing through stop gap and emergency measures. They need to figure out exactly what the community wants, how much the community is willing to pay for it, and then tell the public what it is going to cost them.
I recognize it is difficult to operate when the state is constantly cutting your money.
For those who believe, as Mr. Granda does, that the problem is misspending of the district’s money, I challenge them to show me where that misspending has occurred.
I saw some misspending on the facilities side about a decade ago, but those problems have been long since corrected. Davis schools do offer more programs than the standard district, but that is a reason why the schools are better than typical schools. And I am not just talking about having better students. I do mean better.
This year I have become a consumer of those services, with two special needs kids in the district, and I see what services we offer those students that did not exist in the other districts. Without these services these kids, who are still quite young, would have little chance.
The numbers are out there. They are not going to change. And the district is not suddenly going to be flush with money. The number crunchers have spoken, reality has been laid bare, and now it is up to the voters as to what direction we take.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
“class size would increase back up to 30 students per classroom.”
cry me a river! when I was going to school some classes would have 30 students, sometimes 40, or even 45 students. DEAL WITH IT!
“And therein lies the problem. Some people have complained that the district is asking for too much money, $200 is a lot no doubt, but it does not even cover half of the deficit.”
I have friends that have lost their jobs. It isn’t just the district that is facing layoffs, or economic pain. When people lose their jobs, get their salaries cut, lose their home, cannot make mortgage payments, you cannot expect those people to contribute what they do not have.
“cry me a river! when I was going to school some classes would have 30 students, sometimes 40, or even 45 students. DEAL WITH IT!”
And that was a good thing?
“I have friends that have lost their jobs. It isn’t just the district that is facing layoffs, or economic pain. When people lose their jobs, get their salaries cut, lose their home, cannot make mortgage payments, you cannot expect those people to contribute what they do not have. “
As I wrote, “Second, I agree that we need to all feel the pain. But we also have to prioritize our spending.” So it comes down to whether you think education is more important than other spending priorities. The voters will decide on that point.
“My priorities are for spending on education which is an investment into the future, and spending on county-based social services, which I also see as an investment into the future.”
What are your priorities?
David apologize but you mentioned revelopment so I will share a concern I had watching the CC on Tues with their RD consultants trying to figure out how they could gobble up and protect the RD funds and fame the plan Brown has laid out, at least current funds. It was disheartening to see how the “It’s mine'” mentality pervades.
“game” not fame. On iPhone typed comments are microscopic !
DMG: “My priorities are for spending on education which is an investment into the future, and spending on county-based social services, which I also see as an investment into the future.”
What are your priorities?
Glad you asked. The first priority is for the economy to truly begin turning around, which means home buying needs to pick up. Taking money from people who are broke or are in danger of going broke is counter-productive, even to the schools. What good does it do to vote in an increase to people who are losing their jobs?
DMG: And that was a good thing?
no, but it is not my idea of a crisis. and I believe peoples mortgage payments and economic well being ought to come first.
So it comes down to whether you think education is more important than other spending priorities.
in other words, education is a sacred cow.
Although you can count teacher pink slips and increased class size, these things are otherwise attached to pretty vague impacts. There is a dearth of substance to this commentary, and to this whole subject. What are we really talking about here? Measure A is real, but what in reality do I get for it? Just another feel good emotion, or something actually tangible? What is actually on the line here. I feel zero compulsion to support this tax. I’ll support efforts to restore statewide funding, but convince me why Davis should be so privileged.
Interesting discussion. Bottom line – we need to keep people employed. If over 60 teachers are laid off, those are 60 people who are not going to be able to pay taxes. That has a downward spiraling effect on the economy. Having said that, it is important from a public perception point of view that the teachers/administrators be willing to take less in the way of compensation if voters are going to take a hit via the parcel tax. From a public perception point of view the school district can no longer spend its money on frills like stadiums and fancy press boxes while it lets its schools literally rot from mold. And I agree w Munn that the schools have to figure a better way to budget than constantly calling “emergencies” and increase parcel taxes and crisis fund raise, which gets old pretty fast. Also, I think the school district needs to be more clear EXACTLY WHAT MONEY IS BEING SPENT ON, AND GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO THE VOTERS IN A BETTER WAY. Some of the Letters to the Editor show the public is unclear as to where and how the money is spent. Educating the public about school finances is key…
First, my disclosure statement: I am not an educator or administrator, nor do I have children in the public school system.
In response to Davis Enophile: I do believe in evidence based decision making. A quick Google search of class size and academic achievement would seem to support class size as an independent factor in academic achievement at least at the elementary and secondary levels.
In response to Kane607: No one will be asked to “contribute what they do not have.”
Whether or not $200.00 is a lot of money is largely a matter of perspective. For the majority of us who are fortunate enough to not be in current economic crisis, less than $1.00 per day, is a matter of personal preference. Do I want to spend this on an additional soda, latte, book purchase for example, or do I want to contribute it to a community resource? For those who are in economic crisis, I doubt that this amount will make the difference between losing or keeping their home. However, whether a teacher is able to keep or lose their home may certainly hinge on this issue as alluded to by E Roberts Musser.
I suspect that what this really comes down to is perspective and world view. Do we see this $200.00 as “just another tax” and oppose it on principle ? Or do we see it as a way to contribute to our community ? Do we see education as ” a sacred cow” or do we see it as a vital component of the future well being of our community?
I happen to favor the latter views and will be strongly supporting this measure.
“Glad you asked. The first priority is for the economy to truly begin turning around, which means home buying needs to pick up. Taking money from people who are broke or are in danger of going broke is counter-productive, even to the schools. What good does it do to vote in an increase to people who are losing their jobs?”
Because education is about an investment in the future, so that we can have a productive state in 20 years. What good does it do to bring the economy about if you end up sacrificing half of a children’s educational years? Particularly elementary school which are the key years in a child’s education.
“no, but it is not my idea of a crisis. and I believe peoples mortgage payments and economic well being ought to come first. “
I don’t think $200 a year in additional tax is going to prevent people from paying their mortgage. It may mean they go out to eat four less times – which I think is a worthwhile trade off.
“So it comes down to whether you think education is more important than other spending priorities. “
True.
“in other words, education is a sacred cow. “
A sacred cow that’s been hunted to the point of extinction at the state level I suppose.
“EXACTLY WHAT MONEY IS BEING SPENT ON, AND GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO THE VOTERS IN A BETTER WAY”
Elaine – I don’t understand your complaint here. They have line itemed exactly what a parcel tax pays for, to the dollar as is REQUIRED BY STATE LAW. And they have an oversight committee that looks at it, these committees are open to the public. I fair to see your complaint here.
Even if Governor Brown could somehow swing the deal to get the votes to put the tax plan on the ballot, it is basically the same measure that voters overwhelmingly rejected back in 2009. Now, could Governor Brown succeed where Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger failed? Yes.
George Skelton brings up some good points and hypocrisies (never in short supply), particularly on the Republican side.
[url]http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cap-20110202,0,4551584.column[/url]
And toward medwoman’s point, people who really can’t afford the $200 can get a hardship waiver.
dmg: “Elaine – I don’t understand your complaint here. They have line itemed exactly what a parcel tax pays for, to the dollar as is REQUIRED BY STATE LAW. And they have an oversight committee that looks at it, these committees are open to the public. I fair to see your complaint here.”
The Letters to the Editor in the Davis Enterprise and even some of the comments on the blog indicate some of the public is not getting it. They are not getting it bc they do not visit the school district website or go to oversight commission meetings and are not going to. The school district should take the trouble, in an op-ed piece, to more fully explain themselves. But what I have seen in the Davis Enterprise is an overly general statement by the school district of where the money goes, which tends to give opponents the ammunition they need… even Munn claims the school district is not really being forthcoming about how the parcel tax will be spent if I remember his statement correctly… just my opinion…
To put it more succinctly, the school district needs to have a better PR campaign on this one…times are tough…
Kane607:cry me a river! when I was going to school some classes would have 30 students, sometimes 40, or even 45 students. DEAL WITH IT!
Davis Enophile: Although you can count teacher pink slips and increased class size, these things are otherwise attached to pretty vague impacts. There is a dearth of substance to this commentary, and to this whole subject. What are we really talking about here?
So what happens if we take these particular cuts? From a consumer level experience, I think that fewer students will be reading at grade level by the end of third grade. The goal of class size reduction is to allow more time for individual assessments by teachers to figure out specifically why a particular student is performing where he/she is.
A couple of months ago, I was looking at my elementary group photos, and my third grade class had 32. I volunteered for my child’s 3rd grade class and I was reflecting on the differences from my experience. With the current K-3 class sizes (now at 25), I see a “no child left behind” response. The teacher was making individual assessments almost every day.
For my child, parent-teacher conferences were amazingly specific. In my day, I think larger classes were a little more about crowd control, and accepting that there will be a bell-curve distribution, and that’s just the way it was. In my third grade group photo, I could pick out who would drop out of high school. I don’t think the current teachers could successfully achieve 3rd grade standards if K-3 class sizes were set to 30.
Ironically, I think the students who will be likeliest disadvantaged are probably those coming from families who would likelier decide that Measure A is genuinely too much to afford.
ERM: To put it more succinctly, the school district needs to have a better PR campaign on this one…times are tough…
Point taken, but I think any dedicated public information person that existed in the district has been long since eliminated to save a teacher.
BP and Chevron have money to explain to the public that they really do care about the environment and the future. DJUSD doesn’t have that kind of money, and if they did, there would be an outcry that it should be spent directly on the kids.
[i]”BP and Chevron have money to explain to the public that they really do care about the environment and the future. DJUSD doesn’t have that kind of money, and if they did, there would be an outcry that it should be spent directly on the kids.”[/i]
The best marketing campaign that the DJUSD could produce would not require them to pay for any advertisements. The best marketing campaign would start with a 8-10% reduction in salaries for all of their employees, just as Jerry Brown has proposed for all state workers ([url]http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/10/news/economy/California_budget_brown/[/url]): [quote]Brown intends to cut state employees’ take-home pay by 8% to 10%, and will propose a “vast and historic” restructuring of government operations.
[/quote]
The best marketing campaign that the DJUSD could produce would not require them to pay for any advertisements. The best marketing campaign would start with a 8-10% reduction in salaries for all of their employees, just as Jerry Brown has proposed for all state workers:
Perhaps…
What wasn’t explicitly discussed at Thursday’s school board meeting, nor in Greenwald’s article is that there will be additional measures laid out as we go along. The district has to demonstrate fully how it will balance the budget with $7.1 million deficit, before any relief money comes in. The certificated cuts only take us to ~$2.7 million in closing the DJUSD deficit. It is not hard to infer that there will be classified cuts, I know for certain at least some administrative cuts will be on the table, and even further compensation concessions from district staff. If you followed the full discussion at Thursday’s meeting, both the DTA and CSEA unilaterally indicated that they were open to discussing compensation reductions.
Davis teachers are already taking a 10% hit compared to the rest of the state. See http://www.ed-data.k12.ca.us/fiscal/TeacherSalary.asp?tab=0&level=06&ReportNumber=4096&County=57&fyr=0809&District=72678
And it’s pretty easy to find out what the district spends its money on…
http://www.districtdollars.org/welcome
DMG: I also think John Munn had an important point that should not be lost – if this is the new reality, then the district needs to stop governing through stop gap and emergency measures.
Fair observation. But at the moment, I tend to think that if Gov. Brown’s budget package can be implemented, then we will be bottoming out (no major cuts for 2012-13 budget). Government revenue is a trailing indicator in following economic cycles.
[quote]And the district is looking for the parcel tax to be a more permanent and reliable source of money than the Davis School Foundation.[/quote]
So the district is looking at a “permanent emergency” tax increase?
No the district is looking at a two year increase through Measure A. But if it passes it’s more reliable than DSF money which is one-time and not guaranteed in any way.
[i]”Davis teachers are already taking a 10% hit compared to the rest of the state.[/i]
JRBERG, Brown is asking for an 8-10% pay cut from all state workers. The link you gave shows no pay cut at all for anyone in the DJUSD.
I agree with Medwoman. Come on, that’s two quarters and a nickle a day to save music, sports, and a lot more. We’re state workers, and have taken some big hits, and we know we’ll have to take some more, but $200 bucks a year? Cry ME a river!
Rifkin: I think jrberg’s point is that DJUSD teachers work under a salary scale that is as much as 10% below the state average for teachers (at least at certain steps), if you look at the salary numbers at that link.
The reason that the average salary for Davis teachers comes in right at the state average is that Davis teachers typically start off with more experience, many having already taught in other districts. That average would probably be significantly lower this year, with 50+ experienced teachers having retired in the past year.
Format correction:
That’s better.
It will $520/year for all school measures. Every one of these measures was sold as a “temporary” thing to get us through some temporary emergency. I was at a school board meeting where this next special tax was being discussed and Mr. Taylor voiced his preference for a $600 amount, and that it be made permanent. The board has already rejected the concept of re-adjusting the amount if the economy improves. In 2 years (or less) there will be further cries of cuts to essential services if we do not renew or vote for yet another increase.
wesley506: To be fair, Measure Q ($200/yr), passed in 2007, was not sold as an “emergency/temporary”, but ongoing supplement.
Mr. Taylor’s opposed Measure A at the board approval stage because he thought it should be more/longer. His position lost in a 4-1 vote. However, for the record, he said that he would support the parcel tax.
wdf: [i]”I think jrberg’s point is that DJUSD teachers work under a salary scale that is as much as 10% below the state average for teachers (at least at certain steps), if you look at the salary numbers at that link.”[/i]
As you note, our average is right at state average.
But that is not really the point. Jerry Brown wants all state workers to take a pay cut from 8-10% from where they are now. A lot of residents of Davis are state workers. You brought up marketing: and as I said, if they want to market the notion of a huge tax increase, a similar paycut for all DJUSD employees (not just certified teachers) would help their cause.
I realize that good teachers in our district–as well as good librarians and many others–are not overpaid. Heck, compared with the wages most City employees make at the lower and middle levels, our good teachers are terribly underpaid. That suggests a pay cut is unwarranted. And I would agree. But given the choice of full employment for district employees or massive layoffs, the former option seems preferable. If they then get through a huge new tax increase, they can adjust salaries from there.
“Every one of these measures was sold as a “temporary” thing to get us through some temporary emergency.”
That’s not an accurate statement. The original parcel tax was not temporary but rather a four year supplemental that would be renewed on a periodic basis.
The second parcel tax was temporary, and is set to expire next year at which point the voters will have the option as to whether or not to renew. It should be noted that there have been cuts to education EVERY SINGLE YEAR since Measure W has passed. So to suggest that the funding has been carried beyond the current crisis or even the current tax is erroneous.
“I have friends that have lost their jobs. It isn’t just the district that is facing layoffs, or economic pain. When people lose their jobs, get their salaries cut, lose their home, cannot make mortgage payments, you cannot expect those people to contribute what they do not have. “
I was talking with an old friend, a vendor at the farmers market and he told me that his sales are down lower than at any time ever. We concluded that the pay cuts have impacted discretionary spending. We need to remember that this area, because of the large number of people employed in the public sector and housing, has one of the worst unemployment rates in the nation. As such asking for more money may fail or pass by a lower than historic margin.
If it does fail and the Davis schools go downhill there will be unintended consequences in the housing market. For years Davis housing has been overpriced because of the school, restrictions on development and foolish lending practices. The chickens are coming home to roost. Voting no on measure A will only make it harder for housing prices to recover. A better answer is to widen the tax base by having renters pay more and home owners less. Two thirds of Davis residents rent but pay much less than homeowners in school assessments. The logic has been that renters are more likely to be students and less likely to have kids so to get their votes they have been bought off with lower rates. But it seems that model is on the way out and if it goes so does the premium value of houses in the DJUS District or at least some portion of the premium related to school quality. Another way to widen the tax base is to build more houses in the district but I can hear those chickens roosting as I type…
The logic has been that renters are more likely to be students and less likely to have kids so to get their votes they have been bought off with lower rates.
Also acknowledging that lower income households in general might likelier live in apartments.
To medwoman and Observer, and all others keen to divide $200 into some infiinitely smaller time scale……..I’m not pledging to PBS. This is a tax, on top of many other taxes. Yes, its less than a dollar a day – about $0.55 a day in fact, but if you’re so eager to pay it, you can pay mine as well. I’m sure the Davis Schools Foundation is more than willing to take your donation and set up a pledge schedule to your liking.
Yes, smaller class room sizes are better, but as Kane607 remarked, I too do not see that as being a crisis. Nor do I see losing some programs a crisis, particularly those most likely to suffer.
In fact, the crisis isn’t in Davis. Its in places far more desparate than our town.
wdf1: “BP and Chevron have money to explain to the public that they really do care about the environment and the future. DJUSD doesn’t have that kind of money, and if they did, there would be an outcry that it should be spent directly on the kids.”
PR campaigns don’t have to cost a dime… One idea and as Rifkin said: “You brought up marketing: and as I said, if they want to market the notion of a huge tax increase, a similar paycut for all DJUSD employees (not just certified teachers) would help their cause.” It has to be a multi-pronged campaign approach…
DE: “Yes, smaller class room sizes are better, but as Kane607 remarked, I too do not see that as being a crisis. Nor do I see losing some programs a crisis, particularly those most likely to suffer.”
I agree w this point. The greater crisis is in laying off more than 60 people, people who will not be able to get future employment easily, so will not be able to pay taxes. This will cause the tax revenue to decrease, not a good thing right now…it has a downward spiraling effect. It is even possible some of these 60 people will not be able to pay their home mortgages, which could result in foreclosure. Hence the need for the teachers/administrators/staff themselves to start thinking about making some concessions in their salaries in this “emergency” situation…
PR campaigns don’t have to cost a dime…
No, but money sure makes it easier to get your message out. And have influence in the right places, I might add.
For those interested in a fact based discussion:
The idea that class size increases will have a devastating impact on learning outcomes is by no means clear. In fact much research indicates that smaller classes do not improve learning outcomes. See
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-08-26-classsize26_ST_N.htm for example
http://ideas.repec.org/a/tpr/qjecon/v115y2000i4p1239-1285.html
http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/ClassSize/academic.html
J.R.: In fact much research indicates that smaller classes do not improve learning outcomes.
I really appreciate fact-based discussion. Thanks for the links. I read through them. Did you??
Your third link (latter part of the article) refutes your assertion. See
[url]http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/ClassSize/academic.html[/url]
I will have to search for links later this evening and post, but what I have found from CSR research more closely aligns with your third link — that when controlled for income and minority status, CSR shows improvements in those students, particularly in grades K-3 (which is what is at stake in the current cuts). On an anecdotal/observational scale, I see why that may be, partially explained in my comment above, 2/5/11 – 10:30 AM.
Lower income households are likelier to be single-parent, possibly less education, and/or a non-native speaker of English. If you’re a low-income household and your kid gets behind in reading skills, you may not have as much time to help compensate at home, or you may not have the personal background of doing things like reading to your kid every night, or you may not fully understand what your kid’s teacher is talking about. Smaller class size allows the teacher to more closely evaluate individual students, take the time to communicate with the parent(s), if it’s worthwhile, or get the student into an effective remedial program right away.
I think giving up on CSR will basically concede reducing the achievement gap as a community priority at this point, as would giving up on a number of other positions/programs on the cut list. If anything it would be an ongoing experiment that we will all monitor, and we will continue to inform our fact-based discussion. Given what is already known, however, I would rather not experiment on students in this way.
Reducing the achievement gap ultimately has the potential of reducing dependence on welfare type programs later in life.
Kane607: So it comes down to whether you think education is more important than other spending priorities.
in other words, education is a sacred cow.
This is not exactly a phenomenon for just Davis. David Greenwald has done pieces before citing polling data to show that a majority of Californians prefer saving K-12 education from these ongoing budget cuts. But that’s not how the results have played out. K-12 has so far taken greater than its proportion of cuts in recent state budgets.
Class size reduction (CSR) research:
[url]http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/report/R_1110MWR.pdf[/url]
See starting on pg. 7 under “Meet Resource Needs” in PPIC’s Pathways to School Finance Reform, November, 2010.
CSR article at Huffingtonpost, Nov. 2011:
[url]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leonie-haimson/the-7-myths-of-class-size_b_776706.html[/url]
Above should have read, Nov. 2010
To the discussion about classroom size, let me add some anecdotal observations. I used to teach 8th grade math and science many years ago. I taught in a portable classroom that had as many as 45 kids in it. However, we had a team teaching approach. The smarter kids were placed in bigger class sizes, so that the slower kids could be placed in smaller classes. We also had outside assistance available from teachers on their break period. I did volunteer after school tutoring as well. We made it work w/o extra funding 🙂
ERM: I think what’s mainly in discussion, here, is K-3. What’s your experience in those grades, in getting kids up to reading level?
wdf1: “ERM: I think what’s mainly in discussion, here, is K-3. What’s your experience in those grades, in getting kids up to reading level?”
My only experience has been what I went through w my own 3 children. The schools back in MD where my eldest child was taught at that age level (K-3) were terrible. I had to teach my eldest daughter to read on my own (yet she graduated from UCD w highest honors in Physiology). My two youngest were taught here in Davis, CA. My middle child is dyslexic, so had many problems, not the least of which was terrible bullying. The elementary school in general was not helpful – their answer was to hold him back a grade, which I refused to do (and have no regrets about – holding him back would have made him feel like a failure and accomplished nothing since no assistance for his dyslexia would have been forthcoming). My youngest happened to get a really good first grade teacher in a combination first/second grade class. She truly excelled, the teacher was wonderful, and she picked up reading like a sponge does water. I think the more critical issue is not so much size of class as it is quality of teacher and the necessary outside resources if the child is having difficulties. Just my opinion from personal experience…
Elaine: The outside resources are also being cut to the bone. And I disagree with you that size doesn’t matter. My nephew’s teacher is excellent but this year instead of two special needs kids, she has seven in the same class. Doesn’t matter how good she is, that’s much tougher for her. And as the class size goes up, so too does the number of special needs and kids with behavioral problems. Moreover, as the size goes up, the other resources are dwindling as well.
dmg: “Elaine: The outside resources are also being cut to the bone. And I disagree with you that size doesn’t matter. My nephew’s teacher is excellent but this year instead of two special needs kids, she has seven in the same class. Doesn’t matter how good she is, that’s much tougher for her. And as the class size goes up, so too does the number of special needs and kids with behavioral problems. Moreover, as the size goes up, the other resources are dwindling as well.”
Pull the 7 special needs kids out and send them for help to outside resources. It will not matter one whit what the class size is or how many special needs kids there are if the teacher is poor. But if the outside resources are available, it will make all the difference. My thought is the outside resources for learning disabled kids is probably a higher priority to my mind than class size. But we can agree to disagree on this one 🙂
Really? That’s your suggestion, take the seven kids out of the mainstream classroom? That goes against all educational research. And it costs more than the current system.
ERM: I don’t think CSR existed with your kids. If it did, I suspect you would have appreciated it.
I have a child with a learning disability, and another with a late birthday (late summer). In each case, I thought the small class size allowed us to be on top of how each was doing, and we were given suggestions for kinds of reading exercises and activities to work on to help stay with the reading standards. Both had to spend time with a reading specialist. Each was a proficient reader by the end of third grade.