Many of Texas’ youngest students have larger classes this year

[w8liftinglady]

(Note by me: also-teachers are having to pay for 100% of their classroom supplies(no reimbursement)-and,at least in my partner's school, 99% of the student body falls below the poverty level,so the teachers usually feed and try to clothe their kids. Teacher's Assistant positions have been eliminated as a budget cutting measure)

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/headlines/20111010-many-of-texas-youngest-students-have-larger-classes-this-year.ece

Many of Texas’ youngest students will have more classmates this year than last. Based on estimates from the state and local school districts, many hundreds more classrooms in kindergarten through fourth grade will bump over the mandated maximum of 22 students.

What’s far less clear is the effect on the education of those students. Education experts agree there’s little data on the impact of small increases in class size.

On the other hand, there is general agreement that the change in Texas is due to state cuts in funding for public education.

Districts that want to exceed 22 students per classroom for lower grades are required to request a formal waiver from the state. (There is no state cap for higher grades.) This year, for the first time, financial hardship was added to the list of acceptable reasons for exceeding 22 students.

For some districts, the increase in over-22 classrooms has been dramatic. Last year, for instance, the Richardson school district asked for 10 waivers. This year, the number is 268. Frisco asked for eight last year. This year the number is 110. Mesquite’s total last year was 39. This year it’s asking for 45.

Some large Texas districts have seen big jumps in waiver requests. Houston ISD received 693 waivers last year. This year, the district is asking for about 1,105. Northside ISD, near San Antonio, asked for only one waiver last year. This year, the number is 440.

[LWolf]

1. There are 37 students in a 5th grade class in my building.

34 in a 4/5 blend a few doors away from that. Our numbers have bumped up, too.

[w8liftinglady]

2. that's what he's seen in his 5th grade- plus, lots of B-mod incorporated into

the general student population- with no teaching support.

[TBF]

3. We are in the suburbs of Houston -

not Houston ISD - and our numbers have jumped but not too bad yet. I think my daughter had 20 in her class last year and now they have 22 (she is in elementary). Our PTO has taken over staffing the library and soliciting parents to tutor. We are doing ok, we have a lot of stay at home moms in this particular area. Also spirit nights - we have certain nights at restaurants where they give us a certain % of the proceeds for all orders. We are all contributing to that and did a big fundraiser selling food/products. So, alot more parent involvement and money going into it - which is why we are still doing ok. I'm sure that in less well-off neighborhoods these things are not happening (at least not to the level we've been able to do it).

They are killing public education - deliberately.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

4. Does the money from those % nights actually go for the classrooms...

...or do they go for administration? Are you sure where that money is going?
Just curious, not judging or insinuating anything.

[TBF]

5. The PTO is organizing it so I think it goes for classroom supplies -

I am not in an officer position so I'll have to dig for that info - it might be on a website somewhere. I do know last year the fundraising money went to providing new overhead projectors for every single classroom. Our PTO is pretty motivated from what I've seen. Now as far as the state budget - I'm quite sure the administrators are making more money than the teachers (what I heard in this area is that there were no layoffs but folks who retired as they normally would were not replaced). They took our art classes too - the classroom teachers are doing that "activity" now. We do still have one music teacher and two phys ed teachers for the school (k-4, about 800 students total in the school). Also, school supplies were not cheap. I have one child in a private school and his supply fee was $175, but even in my daughter's public school the supplies were about $70. Plus we supplement during the year with whatever the teacher requests - tissues, hand sanitizer, snacks, money for the parties, etc.

I decided to volunteer to do the tutoring. I have time to help out and maybe then I'll hear even more of the scuttlebutt. Will keep DU posted.

[w8liftinglady]

6. first of all, thank you for all you do.It matters!

The problem with my partner's school,along with a lot of DISD, is most homes here are either single parent/multiple jobs,multiple parents/multiple jobs,other family member raising child, non-English speaking parents who avoid direct confrontation with school officials,and a lot of the kids are in foster homes.He gets very little support from the parents- he would absolutely LOVE it!What you do is greatly appreciated!

[TBF]

7. That's the sad part -

I am an area that is fairly well off. Our kids are very fortunate. I'm sure the parents in your partner's school would love to be just as involved - but are working 2-3 jobs, stressed from having very little income despite the long hours, etc... This is not the way it should work. Communities through taxation should be supporting their schools, and if those are low-income areas the federal government should be giving grants to make up for some of that. If we don't we are going to get the society we deserve - uneducated folks and more criminal behavior because folks see no other choice. I know you know all this stuff ... just typing it out for others who maybe don't think it through.