Optimal Class Sizes

By Bob Duff

As an educator, Bob is committed to maintaining the lowest reasonable pupil to teacher ratio for optimum learning. He will work to keep the K-3 under 20 and the lowest possible ratio in the 4-5 grade level

Bob adheres to class size standards. Presently the LMSV District Class averages are: K+3: 19-20 Grades 4+5: 32 and Grades 6+8: 25-26. These averages are among the lowest of the neighboring districts at most grade levels. Nevertheless, we need to work at maintaining K-3 low and find ways to lower Grades 4-5 to 28:1 when the budget permits. These formative years are when the foundations are built. Where a lower student to teacher ratio exists more individual attention can take place.

No Child Left Behind

Basically, this Act provides support learning in the early years and provides more information for parents about their child's progress. Fundamentally it is designed to improve teaching and learning by providing better information to teachers and administration and ensuring that teacher quality is a high priority. Within the Act there are more resources to schools allowing more flexibility to focus on what works.

To sort through the educational "garboldegook" in order to determine how it is affecting LMSV is a chore in itself. The bottom line is that there are provisions for money to grant assistance to the schools that test students, provide support for students who are not performing at grade level, and afford greater communication to the parents. LMSV is doing that. It remains to be seen if the federal government will keep their end of the bargin.

The "left behind" aspect for Bob implies that the district do something to make sure that students are achieving at grade level. It does not imply that students should not be held back if the skills are not present. All too often social promotions have taken place in districts passing on the student without the skills because the student has reached the social age of the class. Students learn how to "get by". Bob has worked with students in high school, who could not read at a 2nd grade level and had no idea what a fraction was. He has witnessed students graduating from high school who could not read a ruler to measure the size of a standard sheet of paper. We need to do what we can to make sure that all students promoting from our elementary school district can read and compute at grade level.