A new school year, and sadly Clovis Unified classes remain much too overcrowded | Opinion
The new school year has started. In my house we’re excited about beginnings and wondering what will happen next week. We’re asking questions about music, math, and after school activities, and anxious about schedules. There are so many unknowns this time of year, so many reasons for parents and kids to be nervous.
Nothing makes me more nervous than the question, “How many kids will be in class?” Will I see more than 35 kids in the elementary school classes and north of 40 in my middle schooler’s periods? Unfortunately, I already know the answer, and it’s a Clovis Unified School District and board approved “yes.”
Here’s one question I’m not sure of, though: Will our new Superintendent Corine Fulmer have an interest in doing anything about it?
Now the party line, the one I’ve heard from the district and from Dr. Fulmer in the past, is that class size has little impact on student success. Before even mentioning that various studies have shown that students who are in smaller classes perform better in every way that can be measured, including improved high school graduation rates, early identification of learning disabilities, improved student behavior, higher scores on tests, and improved attendance — before we dive into all of that — let’s just think about it for a minute, and use some common sense.
Is the administration of this district really saying it’s not harder to do something with 40 students than it is with 20? With a straight face? Those of you reading who have children, who have 2, or 4, or 7 … now double it. And by the way, you’re single parenting for most, if not all that time, no spouse or 2nd teacher there to split the load.
If you’re a waitress, take twice as many tables.
Construction workers and contractors, build it twice as fast.
Nurse? Care for double the patient load but maintain the same level of care.
Absurd, isn’t it?
Would it surprise you to know that the maximum recommended by the California Teachers Association is 20 students in regular elementary classes? Their recommendation for secondary school is 20 students in a class with a student load of no more than 100 for secondary teachers.
Us parents, us taxpayers, us believers in Doc Buchanan and the mythos of the CUSD have been the frog in the pot of water. For years class sizes have steadily risen (even as the district hoards well more money than is necessary in reserves). Because of incredible, dedicated teachers, the class sizes have risen faster than the test scores have fallen.
Well, the pot is starting to boil.
The National Education Association details how educators have become increasingly overworked. Due to teacher shortages, educators are often giving up their planning time to cover other classes, increasing their workloads further. Teachers are leaving — even in the middle of the year.
Go back a couple of paragraphs and check out all those ways in which smaller class size benefits students. Add on lower disciplinary referrals, better teacher retention and lower dropout rates for middle and high school students. Now ask yourself, why hasn’t it happened? The expense is always the excuse. These changes would require large investments to hire on the necessary staff to support it.
The question shouldn’t be “how much will this cost?” The question should be, how much will it cost not to make these changes? How much will it cost our children? When fewer graduate from high school, when the test scores decrease, when fewer go to college? How much will it cost them?
Doesn’t make any sense, and neither does 40 kids in a class.
