Sanity Check: Student-to-teacher ratios and class sizes [View all]
As we regard the Chicago strike and regard the state of public education in this nation today, the most prominent issue continues to be student-to-teacher ratios and class sizes.
One of the repeated "issues" parroted by newsreaders in the media regarding the "hardship" on parents in the Chicago school district is the difficulty supervising the students who're not attending school. For many, it seems that "day care" is their major concern.
As a former teacher, I'd actually regard the standards imposed on day care providers (and the pay for baby-sitters) as a benchmark for progress in public education. While I don't speak for either teachers OR parents, it's worthwhile, I believe, to think about the laws across this nation that day care providers must meet.
The largest group size allowed is 16 children. The highest staff-to-child ratio allowed is 8:1.
When our public school administrators shrug at class sizes of over 40 children and student-to-teacher ratios of 25:1 ... it seems clear to me where the utter insanity lies.
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