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Friday, February 13, 2015

Florida's class size amendment under attack... again.

Every year the Florida Tax Watch group attacks the class size amendment saying Florida’s taxpayers could save billions of dollars if they would do away with or change it. These savings would actually be cuts to education which would be embarrassing as Florida is already nearly dead last in what it spends per pupil. The Florida Tax Watch’s slogan should be, Fiftieth we’ll get there one way or another.

Their big suggestion that we do school averages rather than class averages is a bit insincere because the state legislature has exempted hundreds of class, electives, AP classes’ etc, from the class size amendment. I have another suggestion, why don’t we instead insist the legislature fund the class size amendment like the people expected them to do when they voted for it once and to uphold it two other times.  

Instead of cutting education budgets which is what Florida Tax watch is really advocating lets invest in our schools and the one reform, smaller classes that has evidence that says it works, something charter schools, blame the teacher evaluations, failing third graders and high stakes testing cannot say. If you are still on the fence ask a teacher if they think they would be better and more effective with five or eight more students or not. 

3 comments:

  1. Putting 35 in a class is abusing students and teachers. It impacts how I teach in every way. I shouln't have to grade 200 papers. It takes me 3 weeks to grade essays. I also have 45 IEPs to follow and 5 ESE teachers to communicate with.

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  2. Having 35 willing students who hang onto every word you say and listen to all of your instructions with enthusiasm and respect is no big deal. This is a rare occurrence. No one, not even the average admin, has any idea what we deal with. I have never heard a teacher say, "I wish I had more students." My COLLEGE classes were smaller than the classes I teach. I think those in charge need to go back into the average classroom at an average school in Duval to be reminded of what it is like to teach 30 or more students. I dare them.

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  3. Yes and if ONE student is having an off-task conversation, the teacher is not "engaging." They haven't been around kids for so long, they've forgotten the nature of children, which is to be off-task at some point(s) in a 90 minute class. We are supposed to turn them into robots, I suppose, since that's who they'll be competing with for jobs. Robots never gossip or talk about the weekend or mention their favorite color when they pick up a crayon. They just color what they're supposed to color the color they're supposed to color it. They don't get bored or sleepy or grumpy or excited. What mood-altering drugs couldn't accomplish, teachers should. Numb them...destroy their conscience.

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